Salazar's Choice
by Cerberus of the Three Swords
Summary: Knowledge is power. Especially if it is ancient. This especially holds truth in the Magical World.-Salazar Slytherin
1. Chapter 1

**A.N. Hello everyone! I go by Cerberus and I would like to introduce you to my new story! Some of you may have read my other stories, some of you may have not. I would be most grateful if you looked at my other story, "Solum," and left a review. If you have in fact read my other stories and are wondering what happened to them, look on my profile. Anyway, this little ****idea has been bouncing around in my head like the Energizer Bunny. To sum it up, it has been annoying the crap out of me! So, I finally decided to act on it. Once again, welcome to my story.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own or profit from Harry Potter in any way, shape, or form.**

**Salazar's Choice**

**Chapter One: Descisions**

_Knowledge is power. Especially if it is ancient. This especially holds truth in the Magical World. _These were the thoughts of one Salazar Slytherin as he stalked down the corridor of a half finished hallway that in time would connect the dungeons of Hogwarts to the entrance hall. He was supposed to be in the Great Hall having a meeting with his dear friends over red meat and ale **five minutes ago. **He huffed as he ran his pale hand through his tangled coal black hair to get it out of his ice blue eyes and lengthened his strides. He arrived at the doors to the Great Hall five minutes later and stopped at them.

He looked into the shiny slab of black marble that was next to the doors, it going to be placed _somewhere_ in this monster of a castle, and checked his appearance. He looked about twenty-five with a clean shaven face and a stubborn chin. His clean cut was the only clean thing about him. His pale skin was covered with splotches of dirt and grime here and there while his hair had been allowed to roll and knot into dreadlocks. His emerald green cloak had rips and was very ratty at the bottom. Under his cloak was a plain black robe in a similar condition along with a pair of dirty leather boots.

Salazar glared at his image and hung his head. He could already hear Helga telling him he looked like a vagabond who just walked in the door. He sighed and straightened up. He glared at the Great Hall doors next. "_No use delaying the inevitable," _he thought with a scowl and pushed the doors open. He walked around the piles of stone still present to finish up the west wall of the hall and headed to the lone table at the far end where his three friends were gathered.

"Salazar, my friend, what delayed you so?" Salazar smiled; Godric was the best friend any man could ask for. "The food is getting cold and I'm **famished**!" Leave it up to the idiot to kill the moment. Salazar scowled at him for that.

Godric was a giant of a man. He towered at six foot seven inches (2 meters), which was about eight inches (20 cm) more than Salazar. Godric was also in possession of a silky chestnut mane which, when it turned white, would make him look like dragon slayer Saint Nicolas, especially with all the crimson armor. Right now, he was looking down and pouting at his slowly cooling food with gold eyes, his head propped up by his armored hand. Why he wore his armor to meals, Salazar would never know.

"We told you, you should have just started eating, Godric," came from the raven haired beauty that was Rowena Ravenclaw. She wore a dark blue dress today; she looked absolutely perfect as always! **She is my** **sun and evening star, my eternal lo…** "You're staring again, Salazar." She said this without even looking up from her book, besides her already finished meal, with her glorious indigo eyes, in a monotonous voice as if this was an everyday occurrence…which it was. Salazar sheepishly said, "Sorry, my lady."

"You're forgiven…again."

Then from out of nowhere, "You look like a pack of wolves were chasing you and then you collapsed. Then it seems a cat dragged you into the castle." This came from Helga. She looked like the milkmaid of every man's dream, besides Salazar. Any dream with a maiden had to do with Rowena. She would always walk towards him with a gorgeous smile and a sway in her… Anyway, so Helga was a blonde, blued-eyed maiden with perfect teeth and voluptuous body that her gold dress did nothing to hide. Many men would do anything to bed her, but they never got far. She was far too loyal to Godric to do anything of that sort with any man but him.

She was also a big meanie! She always picked on him about his hair, his pale skin, his not-as-perfect-as-Helga's teeth, and his clothes. So what if he didn't feel a need to always look his best? He didn't care what people think, besides Rowena, of course! Salazar felt he had been ridiculed enough and sat down to eat.

Godric jumped from his seat and crowed, "**Finally!**" He then practically inhaled his food. Salazar just shook his head. Godric would never eat until everyone was present; he said he was being a gentleman. Salazar said he was just being a pain in the ass!

Not a minute later, Godric catapulted to his feet once again and slammed his fist on the table. "Can we start the meeting now?!" Rowena snapped her book shut and nodded affirmative, Helga answered, "Anytime you want to, Sugar Griffin!" Salazar nearly saw his lunch resurrect itself on the table with that comment and nodded affirmative as well.

Godric settled into his seat and asked seriously, "So, anything that needs to be brought up immediately or can we continue with the normal agenda?"

Helga responded, "I feel we need to go over what creatures we would let roam in the forests again."

Godric sighed, "We've gone over it three times already. I've already told you, we're perfectly safe. Rowena put up the wards herself that will keep all creatures and non-humans with cruel intent off the castle grounds."

Helga didn't look reassured but nodded her head anyway. Godric asked, "Anything else?" Salazar debated in his head one last time whether he should bring it up or not… He swallowed the last of his dinner he had been eating and decided he should for the betterment of the school.

"I would like to bring up something that has been irking me for a great deal of time…" Salazar said this with his Don't-screw-with-me face that had his blue eyes gleaming in a dangerous way.

Godric zeroed in on him with his own eyes, Helga sat up straight and paid close attention, and Rowena analyzed him as if he were a specimen to be examined. Salazar continued, "I don't understand why we are using and plan to teach our future students wand lore when we are masters in the Ancient Languages."

Godric's eyes narrowed, Helga's eyes widened, and Rowena adopted a look of calculation. Godric answered, "I thought we had agreed that it would be better to teach the students wand lore. I thought we had agreed that that was where the world was heading?"

Salazar answered, "Aye, we did. But I must reconsider when I look closer at countries who have converted to wands. The people become lazy and idle. They are not challenged with magic anymore nor do they challenge themselves. All they need is the spell chant and wand movement to learn a new spell, there is no control anymore. These people who use wands also struggle to use wandless magic of any kind. The energy they used to burn by using their magical pathways to control and form their magic is no longer burned and they become fat. As their bodies become unhealthier, their magic works harder to support their failing bodies. This results in less magic to cast and weaker spells. As these people are becoming fatter and lazier, they no longer feel a need to pay attention to what their governments are doing; and the governments are taking advantage of this to perform deeds they would not normally do without fear of revolt and revolution. The governments go to the wand makers and pay them gold to add trackers and other such enchantments to better control their people. They also go to spell crafters and pay them to make standard spells which send out signals that the governments detect in order to figure out which spell their subjects cast. I could see our king and nobility doing that themselves. I could see them tracking us through our wands and then drafting us into their armies so they can play king of the hill. I can see all of us, fighting and dying while some noble sits back and enjoys his wine! **I will never let that happen while I still draw breath!**"

Sometime during his monologue, Salazar had stood up and toppled his seat. He slowed his breathing and looked around at his friends. Godric looked as if his mind was far away, Helga was looking at him with a small smile, and Rowena was looking at him differently. Her eyes were brighter and they were not chips of amethyst anymore, they had softened. "So, what are you proposing?" Godric had returned from his trip.

Salazar looked back at him and replied, "Teach them the magic of our forefathers. Teach them the power of runes and the allure of the Ancients."

Godric's face scrunched up and he licked his lips, "But we would have to rewrite our entire lesson plan."

"So what? It'll take maybe an hour at most. What have you got to do anyway?"

Godric's eyes wandered over to Helga and then back to Salazar. Salazar scowled and fumed, "Besides that!"

Godric put his hand up to his chin and scratched. He even ran his fingers through his beard for good measure. He looked back at Salazar and answered, "Well, nothing really…"

Salazar said, "Then it's settled, we can rewrite the lesson plan right now and get rid of these sticks!" He pulled out his wand and glared at it as if it had mortally offended him.

Godric said, "One moment, my eager friend, we have to vote on it… All in favor of teaching the students the magic of our forefathers say aye!"

Salazar responded with, "Aye!" as well as Rowena. Helga looked contemplative and issued an, "Aye," as well. Godric continued, "Oppose?" No one responded. Godric said, "My own vote shall be, aye."

Salazar rolled his eyes, "Now can we continue?"

Godric answered cheekily, "Maybe…."

Salazar grew flushed and continued anyway, "Now that we have an agreement, let's change these plans."

He pulled out a scroll and unrolled it. It had a list of all the classes they planned to teach at Hogwarts when it opened.

Salazar said, "Well, we need to get rid of these wand lore classes meaning Transfiguration, Charms, and Defense Against the Dark Arts."

Godric interjected, "We must at least find a suitable replacement for them."

Salazar asked, "Did you ever pay attention to our Master when he was teaching us?"

Godric looked down and answered, "I did sometimes…maybe."

Salazar hung his head and said, "You're hopeless… Anyway, Transfiguration can be replaced with one of the Ancient Languages, you know, the one **you** mastered!"

A look of understanding grew on Godric's face, "Now I remember…"

Salazar rolled his eyes, "Charms can be replaced with Rowena's Language and DADA can be replaced with mine."

Godric asked, "But I thought you were going to teach potions?"

Salazar shrugged, "I can live without…"

Everyone sent him a look of pity; they all knew how much he had been looking forward to teaching potions.

Helga then asked, "I'll have to give up teaching Herbology as well if I'm to teach my Language." She received similar looks.

"There is a way you could teach both, but we would have to make some schedule alterations…" This came from Rowena. Godric looked at her questioning but she continued, "We'll talk about it after we have decided what classes we want to change because there are a few I am less than satisfied with."

Godric nodded and said, "Very well. What classes do you find below standards?"

Rowena motioned for the list of classes from Salazar and after looking at it for a moment answered, "For one, I find History of Magic severely lacking in many areas. The most glaring is that it covers only what has happened in England, Scotland, Ireland, and Wales. What about the world outside of these islands? There is so much out there!"

Godric nodded his head in thought and said, "Your comment is noted, anything else?"

"Would you like it one at a time or all at once?"

"All together, please."

"Very well," Rowena cleared her throat and continued, "The second class I find substandard is Care of Magical Creatures. There are more than magical creatures, there are magical beings and magical spirits and to totally ignore them is unacceptable. That is just one class I have major issues in, I have smaller issues in all the other classes. I generally believe they are not as intensive or interactive as they should be. For instance, why is it that you need four years of potions class to reach journeyman level competence and an additional two years for mastery? Our students' duration here is supposed to be seven years long and it takes all seven years to reach mastery level? I believe this is very poor time management; this is true for other classes such as Herbology and Care of Magical Creatures."

Godric nodded and said, "That is good reasoning but, can we expect children to learn at an accelerated pace?"

Rowena nodded and said, "If we are going to teach them the Ancient Languages, then it is a must."

Salazar then commented on Rowena's argument, "Maybe you should tell us how fast you believe they must learn."

Rowena said, "They should be able to learn classes that we originally proposed to span all seven years in four at most…"

The table was silent for a moment as the other Founders took the time to consider Rowena's argument. Salazar spoke up first, "I believe that that is a bit too fast for even the most studious children."

Rowena replied, "I don't believe so. I became a master in potions in only three years with you teaching me and that was with only weekly lessons an hour and half each."

Salazar replied, "Yes, yes you did, but there is a difference between you alone and a group of school age children. They are going to talk and daydream and not pay attention when they are supposed to. They will slack off every now and then while others may just give up. It is our job to teach all the students to the best of our abilities and make sure they access their full potential. Can we do that for **all** of them in only three years?"

Rowena stayed silent and fold her hands together as she thought it out. Finally she said, "Now that you say that, no, we wouldn't be able to do that with even the most studious of children."

Godric then asked, "So how long should seven year classes be?"

Salazar said, "I believe we should evaluate each class individually to determine the length of the class or if we even want it."

Helga spoke up and asked, "What do you mean by that, Salazar?"

Salazar elaborated, "I believe that some of the classes we are currently planning on teaching are unnecessary."

Godric asked, "Which classes?"

"I'll say when we come to it."

"Very well, what's the first class on the list, Rowena?"

Rowena answered, "The first class is Muggle Studies."

Godric said, "I believe this class must be kept. It will help the students blend in with muggles in the muggle world."

Salazar said, "I don't believe we should teach it at all."

The rest of the Founders turned to face Salazar. Salazar only stared back at them with his icy blue eyes glinting with anger.

Godric said, "Now, Salazar, we hav-…"

"I don't care if we have talked about it already! We should not even mingle with muggles! They are nothing but violent people who hate what they don't understand! Why should we bother to understand them when they say we are demons and burn us at the stake!?"

"Salazar, please listen. I know what they did to your family and what they did to you, but you need to learn to let it go."

When Salazar responded it was with a low voice that seemed to drag itself through his teeth, "Do you really? Do you know how they stormed into my house in the dead of night with torches and clubs? Do you know how they beat my father and me and tied us up so we could watch in horror as they took turns raping my mother and my thirteen year old sister? Do you know how they poured boiling oil on my father and set him alight? Do you know how they gutted my mother on my father's own sword? Do you know how I escaped with my sister only due to dumb luck? Do you know how my sister begged me to kill her because she could still feel those animals touching her? Do you know how I felt after I killed her out of pity and love, hoping that she may find peace in the after life?

I don't think you do. I don't think you know how much I loathed my very existence as I drifted through the wilderness. I don't think you know how much I loath those beasts. Even years after, I still feel a hatred for them that is unparalleled by anything any of you have ever felt. It is only on a whim that I have not gone back and avenged my loved ones with shadow and flame."

"Not all muggles are bad, Salazar," came Rowena calm voice, "I was saved by a muggle friar from a pack of wolves when I was very young. He was the one that raised me and gave me my thirst for knowledge. He gave me my love of old tomes, the smell of decaying parchment, and the audacity to question 'why?' to everything in life. For instance, why do we call non magical humans muggles?"

Godric scratched his chin through his mane and answered, "Never really thought about it. We've just always called them muggles."

Rowena asked, "Why not something like non magicals or earth children? Oh, I know, what about mundanes?"

Salazar raised his voice, "Back to the main point of this conversation, I can see that some muggles are kind but the majority of muggles are not, while some are downright hostile. I have seen muggles reject and hurt their own children, sometimes even kill them, when they find out their children are magical. That is why I believe we should not even allow muggle born to enter the school."

The table was silent for a while as everyone reflected on what was just said. Helga then said, "What if we took precautions?"

Salazar looked at her curiously, "Like what?"

Helga shrugged and answered, "I don't know; oaths, wards, shiftkeys?"

Salazar rubbed his chin, "I still don't believe that is enough."

Rowena in a rare show of anger slammed her hands on the table, "**What is enough, Salazar?! If you don't remember, I am muggle born?!**" Rowena stood there panting for a moment as the other Founders looked at her in shock. Rowena sat down and asked, "Well, what is enough, Salazar?"

Salazar answered, "I don't know…"

Godric answered, "Well I do. It is clear to me that we do need to take some precautions with muggle bor-…"

"Mundane."

Godric turned to Rowena, "What?"

"Call them mundanes from now; I'm tired of the word muggle. It sounds a lot like an insult."

Godric nodded and continued, "Very well, we must take some precautions with the **mundane **born," Godric looked over at Rowena to see a gleam of satisfaction in her eyes, "precautions like wards, oaths, and shiftkeys. In fact, that's perfect set up. Oaths from the parents to keep them from harming or neglecting their children, wards to protect the families from other muggl-…I mean mundanes, and shiftkeys for the entire family so that they may flee to safety."

Rowena nodded and said, "The shiftkeys should be set to appear here."

Salazar, while less than satisfied, said, "The oaths should include not telling other muggles about the school or anything magical in general." Rowena glared at him for the use of the 'm' word. Salazar just sighed and said, "Fine, mundanes."

Rowena smiled and Godric continued the conversation, "Now, back to the classes. I guess it would be Mundane Studies. So, it stays as a class but how many years should it take?"

Helga replied, "It shouldn't take more than two years, after all, mundanes haven't done anything significant in years and I don't think that will change."

Rowena said, "I wouldn't place money on that, Helga; mundanes have much shorter lives than us. They are lucky to see thirty while it is common for magicals to reach ninety. For every one magical life, there are three mundane lives. That is two more minds that think in different ways and see things in a new light. As time goes on, I think mundanes may advance into something that is unthinkable at this point."

Helga looked less than convinced while Godric looked like he was seriously considering this. Salazar seemed to be tuning out the conversation.

"I propose that Mundane Studies be three years with the first year compulsory for magical born children."

Godric at this pointed asked, "Why should it be compulsory?"

Rowena replied with a tone that made it seem obvious, "So that they can easily blend in with mundanes."

Godric looked sheepish at this point until Salazar jumped in, "If mage born need to take Mundane Studies then mundane born should take a magical etiquette course of some sort."

At this Godric nodded and said, "It would only make sense… While were at this whole compulsory courses topic, I suggest the entire first year be made up of compulsory classes with no electives."

Helga asked, "What classes would the first years take then?"

Godric replied, "Well, they would take this Magical Etiquette that Salazar suggested if they are mundane born or Mundane Studies if they are mage born. They would also take a history class of some kind, we'll figure out what kind as we go through the classes, Herbology, Care of Magical Creatures, Potions, and some kind of class that will get them acquainted with their magic since they won't be able to just wave around a wand and cast spells."

Helga commented, "That's six classes. Won't that be a little much for eleven year olds?"

Godric said, "They will need to get use to the work load sometime. Might as well as be sooner than later."

Salazar then said, "I think that some of those studies are too broad and need to be more focused."

Rowena asked, "How so?"

Godric propped his head on his armored hands, "Yes, how indeed?"

Salazar explained, "Well, for one thing, Mundane Studies would be the study of mundane life, right?"

The other Founders nodded and Salazar continued, "Well, all we want is for the mage born to blend in, right?"

The Founders found themselves nodding again, "Well, then it should be a class that focuses on blending in mundane society. Call it Mundane Transparency or something…"

Helga said, "Well, looks like you're not totally useless!"

Salazar pouted and looked down at the table top, "You're such a meanie, Helga!"

Godric complimented, "Yes, it is actually very smart. What do you suggest for the other classes?"

Salazar rubbed his chin and answered, "Well, for the history class, it should be something that covers general magical world history. You can figure out a name for it when we plan out there other history class. Herbology and Care of Magical Creatures can be combined for first year to teach the students common plants and magical creatures in Scotland, England, Ireland, and Wales. Maybe you could include parts of Europe. Call the class Common Magical Plants and Animals. For Potions, it should focus on what different ingredients do and there effects at different times of the year. What certain motions and intents can do to a mixture. Call it Intro to Potions. For the magical acquainting class, include learning how magic functions and its origins and learning about different styles of magic, including our own, so the students are aware of what they are actually doing. Call the class Magical Awareness."

Godric, who had been writing this all down, said, "Brilliant, just brilliant. Now we have our classes for our first years. Now then onto the rest of our classes; let's go through the list. Let's finish up this history class problem."

Rowena jumped in and said, "I suggest the length be four journeyman years and one mastery year. I think it should teach a detailed history of the magical and mundane broken down into different timelines and how they affected each other, the worlds that is."

Godric nodded ran his hand through his beard and unknowingly streaked ink from his quill through his mane while thinking, "An interesting suggestion, Rowena. I think it will be a worthy addition to our school. It will be called History of the Worlds while the first year history class can be called Magical World History. Magical World History can teach a less detailed history of the magical world." Godric took the list of classes that had been sitting in front of Rowena and said, "Now, next on the list is Herbology."

Helga took over the conversation at this moment, "With the class Common Magical plants and Animals teaching about well known plants, the Herbology class would be able to move on to rarer and more exotic plants from the start. Also coupled with an accelerated learning program, I believe Herbology would only take two journeyman years and one mastery year. Is this acceptable?"

Godric nodded, "Extremely. That wraps that one up. The next class on the list is Potions which we already started on."

Salazar stated, "With Intro to Potions, I estimate it would take a Potions Master three journeyman years and one mastery year."

Helga asked, "Why would it still take so long?"

Salazar answered with passion in his voice, "Because potions are temperamental. Some potions only like being brewed during certain times of the year. Some react violently if brewed with the wrong intent. Some exploded if there is so much as one too many drops of a certain ingredient. Many potions would have to be brewed simultaneously if I cut down a year and doing that is never smart."

Rowena nodded, "Potions is a very delicate art that needs time, a steady hand, and perfect focus. You can't afford to be distracted when brewing potions, especially the higher level ones."

Godric said, "That is enough reason to give you more time for that class. The next class on the list is Runes."

Rowena said, "If we are teaching the Ancient Languages then we will teach them real runes. Not these Anglo Saxon runes but the elemental runes."

Godric asked, "Is that wise, Rowena? The elemental runes are what you used to construct the wards around Hogwarts. They are very powerful. What if a student accidentally summons an elemental?"

Rowena asked, "Are we going to cripple the future generations because we're afraid a student will mess with the wards? Please, you know me better than that. I made the rune configuration and then sealed it away where no student will find it. We also don't have to worry about an elemental summoning because the students need the right intent for that and also a blood sacrifice. It is totally safe."

Godric bit his lip and looked at Helga and Salazar. Helga looked at him and shrugged while Salazar nodded, approving of the motion. Godric sighed and said, "Well, I suppose it's alright. How long would the class be and would it be compulsory?"

Rowena answered, "It would take four journeyman years and one mastery year. I also believe it should be compulsory second and third year."

Godric sighed and said, "It will do. Next class is arithmancy."

Salazar said, "I think this class is a waste of time."

"Please explain."

Salazar complied, "It is a form of foresight using numbers. Why teach it when we will now have a far more reliable form of foresight we can teach with one of the Ancient Languages."

Godric nodded, "This is true. Does this include Divination?"

"Yes. Divination is nothing but an old woman's hobby that she uses to pass the time. There are very few true seers who can actually use Divination. The foresight of the Ancient Language is far more reliable."

Godric once again nodded and said, "Your argument is justified. Any who oppose?"

The table was silent.

Godric licked his lips and said, "Very well, let us continue. The next class is Care of Magical Creatures."

Rowena said, "I still believe that it should also teach about magical spirits like elementals and magical beings."

Godric replied, "I believe you are right. It's folly to not include them. I believe the new class should be called Magical Beings. With Common Magical Plants and Animals it should only take two journeyman years and one mastery year. I believe that's it for this class. Any other suggestions for Magical Beings?"

No one spoke up so Godric continued, "Well, the only classes left are the Ancient Languages. Any idea what to do with them?"

Rowena spoke up, "Well, obviously, they must compulsory. The question is how many years should they last and what years should they be compulsory?"

Salazar said, "I think that there should only be one journeyman year and one mastery year for all of them."

Godric agreed, "That sounds about right, right?" Helga and Rowena nodded. Godric continued, "Well what years should they be taught in?"

Salazar answered, "I think we should start teaching them in second year but in a certain order. Teach one language a year until sixth year when they can take their mastery in the language of their choice in sixth and seventh year."

Rowena commented, "That is actually a brilliant idea. As we all know, the older the language the more powerful, and therefore dangerous, it is. We only have to figure out the order."

Salazar said, "Well, I would say my language be the last one taught because its sole purpose is kill and destroy."

The others agreed and Rowena continued, "I think my language should be the second to last to teach. It is, after all, has a greater area effect than any other language but it is not as dangerous as Salazar's language."

Godric commented, "That sounds about right so far. Now it's just between Helga's language and my own." After saying this he looked at Helga.

Helga looked back at him and said after a while, "My language should be the first taught. While it is older and more powerful than Godric's, its focus is healing and is generally a benevolent language."

Godric said, "Yes, it's all coming together now. Helga's language in second year, mine in third, Rowena's in fourth, and Salazar's in fifth. Then in sixth year they will have to take a mastery course in one language and in seventh a different one. And, of course, they can take a third or even master all four!"

Godric looked around the table and saw the other Founders nodding in satisfaction, besides one that is. Rowena still looked less than satisfied. Godric could almost feel the migraine forming. So he asked, "Are you still unsatisfied, Rowena?"

Rowena looked at him and screwed up her mouth in contemplation. She answered, "Yes, we forgot a class and on top of that I believe there are still a few classes we must add to the curriculum. Also, we have yet to discuss how we wish to schedule the classes."

Salazar furrowed his eyebrows, "What class did we miss?"

Rowena answered, "Foresight."

A look of comprehension dawned on Godric's face and then he said, "Well, that's fairly easy. An introduction year and a year of practice and finally a year to master it. That's two journeyman years and a mastery year."

Rowena said, "Alright, now, about these classes I want to add…"

Godric nodded slowly, as if he was doing something excruciatingly painful.

Rowena continued, "I believe we should add a class that teaches the mind arts, you know, Occlumency and Legilimency."

Salazar's eyes widened and said, "Yes, we really need to add that class. I feel like an idiot for not suggesting it myself."

Godric said slowly, "Alright, how many journeyman years and how many mastery years?"

Rowena answered, "It would take four journeyman years and one mastery year."

Godric's eyebrows rose and asked, "Is that not a bit long?"

Rowena shook her head, "No, not at all. I've been perfecting my mental defenses and probes for years and I'm still learning. The mind arts is one branch of magic that you can never truly master."

Godric nodded reluctantly, "Alright, then. Is there anything else?"

Rowena nodded, "It was decided that Magical Awareness would teach a little about where magic came from and how it works, but the origin and workings of magic is so expansive that it took me years to learn what I know. I propose a Magical Theory class with one journeyman year learning about the theory of magic and one mastery year conducting experiments to further our understanding about magic."

Godric twirled a piece of his ink-stained beard with his finger and said, "You now have me intrigued. I think it will be a welcome addition to the school's curriculum."

Salazar said, "Since Rowena is adding classes, I would like to add one as well."

Helga turned to Salazar with a look of confusion on her face, "What else is out there to teach these kids?"

Salazar answered with one word, "Dueling."

Godric jumped to his feet and exclaimed, "A class on the noble art of dueling? **Of course, the students must at least have a chance to learn of it!**"

Helga grabbed Godric by his cloak and pulled him down into his seat, "You're overreacting, Godric." Godric turned to Helga with horror in his eyes.

Salazar cleared his throat to get everyone's attention again and continued, "It would have one journeyman year and a mastery year. I believe that's good."

Godric wrote down the Dueling class on his list and then said, "Well, these are our classes."

_Class__Journeyman Years__Mastery Years__Required_

_Magical Awareness 1 0 Yes_

_Mundane Transparency 1 0 Yes_

_Mage Etiquette 1 0 Yes_

_Magical World History 1 0 Yes_

_Common Magical Plants 1 0 Yes_

_& Animals_

_Intro to Potions 1 0 Yes_

_Mundane Studies 1 1 No_

_History of the Worlds 4 1 No_

_Herbology 2 1 No_

_Potions 3 1 No_

_Runes 4 1 Partial_

_Magical Beings 2 1 No_

_Ancient Languages 1 1 Yes_

_Foresight 2 1 No_

_Mind Arts 4 1 No_

_Magical Theory 1 1 No_

_Dueling 1 1 No_

Everyone was satisfied with the list and three of the four founders pushed back their chairs, scraping the legs against the stone floor of the soon to be finished Great Hall. As Godric, Salazar, and Helga made their way to the door and opened it, they all heard an echoing whisper that seemed to come from all directions. It caressed their ears in a way that sent shivers up their spines and with a wicked gust, the open doors of the Great Hall slammed shut.

The three Founders turned around to see the fourth Founder still sitting at the table. Rowena said, "We're not done yet. We still need to schedule these classes."

Reluctantly, Godric, Salazar, and Helga walked back to the table. When they got there and took their seats, Rowena continued, "Now then, I have an idea. It might seem strange at first, but at least let me finish my proposal first."

After receiving a confirmation from her compatriots, she continued, "In this castle is a library. This library is home to over one hundred thousand books. That means it is the perfect place to research a variety of subjects. We also have a great deal of empty rooms that could be converted into training rooms. What I'm trying to say is what if we made this a school of research and personal interest? In order to do that, we would have to cut the number of times a class is taught a week down to one…"

Silence encompassed the table until Salazar asked, "Please elaborate."

Rowena complied, "Say that the school day started at eight o'clock and lasted until seven twenty in the evening. The classes would be an hour and twenty minutes long with a ten minute passing period in between. Breakfast would be before classes, lunch would be an hour long from twelve twenty to one twenty, and dinner would be after classes. If we did have classes only once a week then teachers would be able to assign projects every week that would force the student to research and practice the material. While doing this, the student would most likely find something he did not know about and find out more about it. They might even go as far as try to conduct experiments to further their understanding. Because there is so much time in between classes, teachers could have very intense lessons and the students would have a week to understand and apply the knowledge. That is what I am proposing…"

The table stayed silent for a while. Finally, Godric spoke. "This could just give students more time to slack off and not do their class work."

Rowena sighed and answered, "Yes, I know that, but just think, if we had just a few who truly wished to learn and better themselves then, I believe, it would be worth the risk."

Godric answered, "I don't really understand the logic behind it…"

Rowena looked down at the tabletop memorizing the patterns out of disappointment.

"…but, I have always trusted your judgment. Let's see how it works."

Rowena looked up at Godric in gratitude as Godric gave a wide grin in return. Salazar said, "Well, since we seem to be changing everything, we at least need a new name for our school as well."

Everyone stayed quiet for a moment until Salazar asked, "Rowena, do you know the word for owl in Gaelic?"

Rowena answered, "Olcadan, why?"

"Because, we're all of Celtic origin here and to the Celtics, owls are a symbol of wisdom. They also represent wisdom in other cultures, like the Greeks for instance. So, how about Olcadan Mage Academy?"

Godric replied, "I don't know… It sounds too prestigious for our little school."

Salazar got up and put his hand on Godric's armored shoulder, "Godric, my friend, you have to realize that we are planning to give our students that best magical education in the world. There is no doubt in my mind that our school will be famous and everyone will know its name. So what say you?"

Godric's lips parted and formed a savage smile, "Aye, I say we show this world what we four can do!"

Helga butted in, "Together we can do anything if we put our heads together!"

Rowena exclaimed, "We'll teach the best and brightest mages since Merlin himself!"

Salazar finished, "There's no stopping us now!"

The four Founders and friends hunched over the table in the Great Hall of the renamed Olcadan Mage Academy planning their classes that would nurture and bring forth some of the greatest minds the world has ever seen. They slept not a wink until the wee hours of the morn when they trudged to bed, exhausted but with a feeling of accomplishment. Salazar's choice to speak out changed more than he would have ever dreamt.

**A.N. I really like the plot in this story. It's one of those what if someone made a different choice? What would happen? My different choice was with Slytherin. What if he had had a choice to make between a new branch of magic that was okay or an ancient branch of magic that was not only powerful but he was a master in? In this story, he chose the ancient magic. So, please review and read my other story ****Solum****. And yes, I am shamelessly advertising my other story. But don't read ****Running to Freedom****. I really have to rewrite that one. Well, I'll catch you guys on the flip side.**

**See ya,**

**Cerberus**


	2. Chapter 2

**A.N. Hello again! I'm kind of disappointed. I have like two hundred hits and only like three reviews. Not cool, people. Remember to please read and review. Thanks.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own or profit from Harry Potter in any way, shape, or form.**

**Salazar's Choice**

**Chapter Two: ****Bad News**

_20:34-August 3, 1981-Potter Cottage, Godric's Hollow_

There they sat, in the living room, waiting for the arrival of one of the most powerful men on the planet, in front of a small fireplace. James drummed his fingers in time with the beautifully made grandfather clock with his long fingers. He was a man of slightly taller than average height, his shoulders were broad, he wore a plain black trench coat that covered his white shirt and black slacks. It also hid his wiry figure that he had gained from his auror training; his hazel eyes gleamed with impatience.

Lily on the other hand was perfectly still. She curled up on the sofa with lidded eyes fixed on the door. She was a stunning woman with a perfect figure, her hair was almost crimson and was wavy, her eyes were a timeless emerald green. She wore a pair of khaki pants and a thin black sweater that hugged her curves.

"He's late..." This came from James with a note of irritation.

"He's a very busy man, James. He'll be here soon enough." The reply came from Lily who was as cool as could be. She didn't let things get to her like James did.

"He said he had important information about the war that he needed to talk to us about. He said he would be here at eight thirty, is that that hard to accomplish? Who's late to their own meeting for Merlin's sake!?"

Lily took James' hand in her own and said, "Be still, darling. Calm yourself."

James took a deep breath and let it out. The two waited in silence for another ten minuted until _swish..._

It was like the sound of the wind blowing through the leaves. Lily's eyes snapped open and James leapt up from his place on the couch and ran to the door. He yanked it open to the sight of a tall old man. He wore a plain crimson robe, reminiscent of the days of the Founders, the customary garb of Olcadan Mage Academy's Headmaster.

"Good evening, James." This came from the old man with a hard light shining behind icy eyes. His hair and beard were like starlight while perched on the leather like skin of his nose was half-moon spectacles. He wore no hat and his hands had many rings with jewels of varying size.

James replied, "You're late, Headmaster."

The Headmaster replied with a nonchalant voice, "Yes, yes, I was held up by the untimely arrival of our dear minister. I must say, you look as if you are ready to face the Dark Lord himself."

James, in fact, did look quite intimidating with his dragon hide trench coat wrapped tight around him, his eyes shined in the darkness, and the light from inside threw his front into darkness. "That's the point, Headmaster."

The Headmaster's voice became cold "Good, then you are taking this seriously."

The old man then walked into the warmth of the house and greeted Lily, "Good evening, Lily. How is young Harrison?"

Lily smiled at the Headmaster from her place on the sofa and answered, "Good evening, Albus. Harry is upstairs asleep dreaming about sweets and toys, no doubt."

Albus replied with a nod of his head, "Good, good," he then turned to address both of them, "I have asked to talk to you both tonight for one reason. A prophecy was made and I need your help to understand it. So, let us review this prophecy that fate has thrown at us and decide our course of action."

Albus pulled an blue orb filled with swirling mist, "I made, for myself, a copy of the prophecy that was recited to me by a traveling seer who wished to teach the students at Olcadan divination."

Lily's eyebrows furrowed, "Divination? Everyone knows that divination is like shooting arrows in the dark. You can never accurately predict what will happen and you often don't know what they mean until the prophecy is fulfilled."

Albus nodded in agreement, "Very true, but the seer who recited this to me was Dimitra Orphelia."

Lily whistled in appreciation while James asked, "Who is Dimitra Orphelia?"

Lily turned to him and said, "Dimitra Orphelia is a direct descendant of the seer who foretold the fall of Troy. Greek seers are noted to be the best and clearest seers in the world. What did she say, Albus?"

Albus simply said, "Speak..."

The room darkened and the fire in the fireplace angled towards the orb, as if it was being sucked into the orb. The fire went out and the room grew cold as it was plunged into complete darkness.

Then there was a small spot of light that grew stronger as the seconds passed until the room burst into light. As their eyes grew used to the light, the group saw the ghostly image of a beautiful young woman in the orb that shone with a pale blue light that threw the room into stark relief. The image spoke in a echoing voice:

_The fall of the Dark Lord approaches,_

_Heir to Salazar's hate,_

_Believes he to be death's master,_

_Bound to earth like a wraith,_

_Third the number of man,_

_Fear of his Nemesis,_

_Shall drive him to mark his equal,_

_Hate shall hunt the Stag,_

_Cruelty shall mar the Lily,_

_Lightning shall mark the Chosen,_

_The Dark Lord's Nemesis shall find him,_

_Revenge will__ strike with Daemon and Sky,_

_Tainted blood shall be awakened,_

_The fall of the Dark Lord approaches…_

The orb grew silent and dark. A whispery echo filled the room along with the shaking of the floor and then a dart of fire struck the wood in the fireplace. The flickering light revealed the grave face of Albus, the worried expression of James, and the resigned look of Lily. They sat in total silence; wrapped in their own thought until, "What does it mean?" This came from a nervous James. He was fiddling with his wedding ring, spinning it around his finger.

The Headmaster said, "It can be interpreted many ways. While the Greek seers are the clearest fortune tellers, they still speak in riddles, I'm afraid."

Lily said, "Well, let's solve it one line at a time. _The fall of the Dark Lord approaches_. That's simple enough. Voldemort wi-James stop that-will either be defeated or killed."

Albus nodded while he silently laughed at James for being scolded like that. 'Fearing a name, what poppycock.' Albus then adopted a serious expression, "Yes, the first lines are the clearest part of the prophecy. _Heir to Salazar's hate_, that can only mean he hates mundanes, which Tom does. Now these next two lines, I believe, are referring to the same object or objects. _Believes he to be death's master, bound to earth like a wraith_… I have a theory about this one, but for all of our sakes, I hope is untrue."

James said, "Tell us your theory. We're here to help, after all."

Albus looked hard at both of them and then after a while said, "I believe that Tom may have created a number of soul anchors. Soul anchors are created by splitting your soul with the murder of an innocent and then a rune sequence that requires the sacrifice of a virgin…"

The Headmaster looked up to see the dawning looks of horror on Lily's and James' faces. Lily spoke next with a shaky voice, "W-what exactly d-do these s-soul anchors do?"

Albus answered with a heavy heart, "They will keep you here on the mortal plane even if your body is destroyed…"

There was silence in the room once again.

"…"

"…"

"…"

"So, what does this mean exactly? That You-Know-Who is immortal!? **If so, why the hell are we even fighting!?**"

James panted in anger and frustration as Lily pulled him back to his seat to calm him down.

The Headmaster waited for James to calm down completely before he spoke, "No, he is not invincible. He is now similar to a haunted spirit except he has a physical form. If we destroy his body, he will become a wraith. In that form he can be banished for a time, just like a wraith. And also, just like a wraith, if we destroy whatever is holding him on this plane, he will simply disappear."

James' jaw clenched and was about to speak up when he felt Lily's hand on his, she looked at him and he understood; it was time to stay silent. "Let's decipher the rest of the prophecy, Albus."

Albus nodded, "The next line _third the number of man_ is also related to the soul anchors, I believe. He is a master of the language of the creatures that dwell in the deep places of the world and he probably sees the connection between them and the number of man: six, six, six. Third the number can mean six divided by three equals two but that doesn't have a very powerful connection to his chosen language. So, I believe it means one third of the number sequence meaning six. In all likelihood, Tom has created five soul anchors with a piece of his soul remaining in his body."

Lily asked, "What could he have possibly used to make these soul anchors?"

Albus answered, "He could have used anything in the world; some rock in the middle of the road or that piece of silverware you lost. I have no idea at this point, but I know Tom will use something extraordinary and he will place them in grand places. There is no need to worry, I will figure it out. Now then, the next line, _fear of his Nemesis_. I have a feeling that nemesis does not refer to a great enemy…"

Lily nodded, "Nemesis was the demigod of just punishment and vengeance. What if it means that he fears his punishment for all his wrong doings?"

Albus nodded, "I believe you're right, my dear. That would make sense since Dimitra was Greek. On to the next line, _shall drive him to mark his equal_. This is very clear to me, out of fear of his coming judgment, he will mark his equal. There is no other way to interpret this."

Lily asked, "Sir, the next two lines, _hate shall hunt the Stag,_

_cruelty shall mar the Lily_ , I believe, are references to James and myself. Am I right?"

Albus sighed and answered, "This is why I came to you. I believe that this prophecy states that both of you will hunted; James, it does not say anything asides that about you but for you, Lily, it says that you shall be marred in someway. If this means you are just wounded or you are killed, I have no idea."

Tension descended on the room until James said in a quiet voice, "If Lily dies, I won't be able to go on…" A tear trickled down his cheek; just thinking about the possible death of his beautiful wife almost crippled him. Albus looked down, he hated to have to bear bad news to this young happy family. He looked up to see Lily get up and sit in James' lap. She kissed him soundly as more tears streamed down his face and he pulled her closer to him.

Albus couldn't help but feel the pin pricks of tears at the corner of his eyes as he looked at the scene. Before him were two remarkable individuals filled with both bravery and love that deserved to have a full carefree life but how cruel fate could be. As they held onto each other, tears coming freely, he could feel the sense of good bye.

Lily pulled back and looked James in the eye, pinning him in place with her intense gaze. He was glad he had gotten his eyes taken care of. Without his glasses, Lily's eyes seemed to take on a whole new level of beauty. Then she said, "I promise you and you have to promise me that no matter what happens, if one of us were to die, no matter how **heartbroken** we may be; we have to carry on for our beautiful baby boy."

The love that he held for this beautiful creature in his arms seemed to grow by one thousand fold. He held her to his chest, trying to ingrain the feeling of her in his arms into his mind for all time.

"I promise. I promise I will always take care of our baby no matter what. If you should die and I live, I will carry on; but know this, no one will ever have my heart again. You're my eternal love. You're my never ending sunrise, my shining star on a moonless night that guides me home. You are my one and only."

They kissed again and it carried all their love for each other and their child. It was beautiful and Albus hated…no, loathed himself for telling them this. One tear spilled down the side of his weathered face. He wiped it away quickly and crushed the emotion within him. He had to be strong and make the decisions no one else would. Even if it killed him inside. This is for the greater good of every man, woman, and child. 'Take one life to save a thousand,' that was his oath and prayer.

He cleared his throat and got Lily's and James' attention. "We still have much to discuss…"

They reluctantly parted from each other's embrace. "Now then, the next line of the prophecy says _lightning shall mark the Chosen_. This is obviously the key to finding the one to cause the fall of the Dark Lord. Maybe we will narrow it down to who it may be if we figure out the rest of the prophecy."

The Headmaster shifted from his right foot to his left and resumed speaking, "The next line says _the Dark Lord's Nemesis shall find him_, that's simple enough. Justice will find him. I believe the important line is the one after it. _Revenge with strike with Daemon and Sky_. Daemon and Sky obviously refer to two of the Ancient Languages. The question is, who is getting revenge?"

The three in the room stayed silent and thought who could possibly be taking revenge. James finally spoke up, "Whoever is taking revenge is someone not to take lightly. If they can use those two Ancient Languages competently then they are someone to respect. Especially if they have an affinity for both languages."

Albus agreed, "That's true. I only have an affinity for one of the Ancient Languages and a partial affinity in another. This is also true for Tom, though it does not matter much in either of our cases; we both can use all of the languages with mastery level proficiency."

Lily asked after a moment, "So, neither of you can think of anyone who uses those languages together?"

Albus answered, "No, I cannot think of anyone… And you, James?"

James stayed silent for a moment and then said, "Well, I don't know anyone who uses both languages together besides you sometimes, Headmaster. But…Sirius is a master in Daemon and Remus in Sky. Would that work?"

Albus brought his hand to his chin and closed his eyes in thought, "It's possible. After all, the prophecy doesn't say 'chosen one' but 'chosen.' For all we know Remus and Sirius could be the Chosen that will cause the fall of the Dark Lord."

After a moment of reflection Albus continued, "The next line states _tainted blood shall be awakened_. This could mean Remus' lycanthropy or it could mean something else… No…no, I don't think this line refers to Remus at all nor the line before… I believe that the chosen is a mix born. That is someone Tom would consider an equal, not a mage born or mundane born. Both Remus and Sirius are mage born so they're out."

Lily said, "But we don't know any mix born that use both Daemon and Sky, much less one that has an affinity for both!"

Suddenly a quiet word broke into the conversation, "Mama…?"

There standing on the staircase leading upstairs was young Harrison. Albus' eyes narrowed, scrutinizing Harrison, like a scientist. Lily saw this and realized what was going through his mind, "No. No! **No! Not my baby!**"

She raced forward and shielded him from the Headmaster's eyes. James then stepped in front of the Headmaster. While James only came up to the Headmaster's nose, he still put himself between Albus and his family.

James' voice came out low and dangerous, "You are not going to involve my son in this war. He has too much to live for."

Albus looked James right in the eye. Gone was the camaraderie and warmth. What was left was the cold and brutal eyes of the legendary mage that struck down his former best friend and previous Dark Lord Gellert Grindelwald in cold blood. This was the man who turned night into day with his brilliant fire spells as he burned everything in his path and left naught but ash in his wake. This was, as the Germans called him, Albus das Helle.

This titan that stood before him asked James, "Do you think you could stop me if I really wanted to do what I please? Let's see you try…" Then Albus let loose his magical aura and it poured out of him and pressed down on James as if the weight of the sky itself was placed on his back. James' knees shook and gave way as the cottage rattled and creaked as Albus' immense magic pressed against everything. Lily also dropped to her knees and was forced to the ground.

Albus walked forward calmly stepping over James and Lily, making sure to keep his magic back from the boy. He walked up to Harrison who was looking at his mother and father curiously. He looked up at Albus and asked, "Messer, wha' 'appan ta mama an' dada?"

Albus smiled and said, "Nothing's wrong with them, I'm just holding them down."

He looked up at him with glowing emerald eyes and asked, "Why?"

"Because, I needed to give you a check up and they wouldn't let me."

While Albus and Harrison exchanged words, James and Lily struggled to even breathe. The Headmaster's magical aura was immense.

Albus asked, "Would you mind if I gave you a check up, Harry?"

Harry shook his head and smiled at him. Albus reached out his hands and placed them on either side of Harry's head and reached out his magic. As his magic went into the young boy's body, he closed his eyes and started getting flashes. A shadow, a bird, lightning, fire, creatures only seen in nightmares, cities in the sky, and finally glowing green eyes that pierced into his very soul. With that last flash, his magic was forcibly ejected from the young boy's body.

Albus opened his eyes to see Harry looking at him innocently. Albus smiled down at him and said, "Your perfectly healthy, my boy. To keep up that health, you'll have to stay well rested. In fact, you should go to sleep right now!"

Harry looked up at the Headmaster with a sour look on his face, "Bu' I'm na' tared!"

Albus smiled and leaned down and whispered something in Harry's ear. The whisper seemed to echo around the room. It also seemed brighter in the room, as well. Harry felt really sleepy after the funny old man whispered that weird word in his ear. Maybe it wouldn't hurt to go to bed.

And with that thought, Harry's eyes closed and fell into the Headmaster's waiting arms. Albus walked over to the recliner by the fireplace and placed him there on the seat and then covered him with a quilt that was there on the arm of the chair. He then turned back to Lily and James; they glared up at him from the floor, and pulled his massive magic back to let them up. They got up slowly, glaring all the while.

Albus simply said, "What I did made no difference. It appears your son is in fact the chosen."

The anger disappeared from James' and Lily's faces and fear for their one year old son grew. Lily walked over to the sofa and collapsed and asked, "Is fate as cruel as to dictate what a mere babe must do?"

Albus sat down next to her and said, "Unfortunately, it is. Fate often dictates that those who deserve life and joy are given death and despair while those who deserve death and torment receive life and pleasure instead. This world is a cruel one."

James, who was still standing, screamed and slammed his fist into the wall. The wall crumbled under his fist and cracks ran along its surface. James felt so much hate for the person that would be responsible for his wife's future injury and possibly death, his own possible death, and finally for ruining his son's life. He also felt hate for the Headmaster, "Why did you come?! Why did you have to destroy all of our hopes and dreams?! **Why?!**"

Albus answered commonly, "They say ignorance is bliss. But would you really prefer to be ignorant?"

James stayed silent and answered with a heavy heart, "No."

Albus nodded and said, "That's what I thought. Now then, I have work to do."

The Headmaster got to his feet and Lily asked, "What are you going to do?"

He answered, "For one, I need blood of a person you trust above all else. Who might that be?"

James answered, "Sirius, but why?"

Albus answered with a tone that said it should have been obvious, "To use in the Fidelius sequence that is going to protect this house, of course."

As he walked out the door he said, "I will be back in three days. By that time, make sure you have gathered everything you need," he turned back to face them one last time, "and tell no one that you're going into hiding."

Then with the sound of wind blowing through the trees, the Headmaster disappeared.

James' and Lily looked at each other. Whatever came their way, they would face, the three of them, together, as a family.

_Three days later_

The Headmaster returned just as he said. He walked in with an air of grave importance. The Potters met him with a similar composition. They had spent the last three days getting supplies together and gathering their possessions. James and Lily had Harry between them; they each held one of his hands as he looked at Albus is curiosity.

Albus said, "I'm afraid I must give you more bad news…"

The two elder Potters tightened their jaws, preparing for the news. "The Dark Lord had heard part of the prophecy and now he hunts you… He moves to, what he believes will, prevent his downfall and without meaning to now starts to fulfill the prophecy. I'm sorry…"

The grim mood deepened until James asked, "How did he find out?"

Albus sighed, "A Death Eater was listening in on the conversation between Dimitra and me."

"…who is he?"

Silence descended on the house. Albus answered, "It better you not know. Now, we must hurry before anyone…unsavory shows up!"

With that said, Albus walked quickly to the center of the cottage which was in the den. He stopped and started whispering words that echoed in the house. They caused the surfaces around Albus to seemingly shift, a wind suddenly picked up, and the house shook. The result of the whispers was left in his hand, a bronze fountain pen.

Lily asked, "Is that your rune carver?"

Albus nodded absentmindedly and said, "A conjured bronze fountain pen imbued with dragon fire; the perfect tool to carve runes."

And so he started, he whispered another word and the air thrashed for a moment and then settled. Albus then let the pen fall from his hand and instead of striking the floor, it hovered just above it.

The pen then seemed to move of its own accord. It cut out a large square in the carpet. The Headmaster then flicked his wrist and sent the carpet piece across the room, revealing the wood underneath. The pen then carved a good sized circle in the middle of the square. The pen carved four parallel diagonal lines in the circle. Above the first circle, a second circle, about half the size of the first, was drawn and an upside down flame-like symbol was drawn inside of it. A third circle, the same size as the second, was drawn an equal distance below from the first circle as the second circle.

The pen stopped a moment as the Headmaster stepped forward. He pulled from his crimson robe a vial filled with a single drop of blood. He pulled out the stopper and whispered another echo that seemed to fill the house with the sound of whales. The blood then seemed to rise slowly out of the vial and descended into the third circle until it settled in the exact center.

The pen went back to work. It drew a fourth circle the same size and distance from the first circle as the second and third circle except it was to the left of the first. In the circle, the pen drew an upside-down five sided diamond. The fifth circle was the same size as the fourth, but it was placed diagonally, higher and to the left, of the fourth circle. In it the pen drew a circle with a swirl in the middle that made it look like a whirlpool. A sixth circle was also drawn diagonally, to the left and lower than, the fourth circle. In it, another upside down flame symbol was drawn.

The pen then moved to the right of the first circle and drew a seventh circle. It was the same size and distance from the first circle as the second, third, and fourth circles. In the seventh circle, another upside down flame was drawn. An eight circle was drawn diagonally, higher and to the right of, the seventh circle. In the eighth circle, another four parallel diagonal lines were drawn but this time a diagonal line was drawn across the circle, as if the parallel lines were crossed out. A ninth circle was also drawn diagonal, lower than and to the right of, the seventh circle. In it, a right side up flame symbol was carved.

A final circle was drawn that encompassed all the other circles. The pen then went back to the first circle and connected the first circle to the second with vertical line. The pen then connected the first and third circle together with another vertical line. The pen went and connected the first and fourth circle with a horizontal line then it connected the fifth and sixth circles to the fourth circle via diagonal lines. The pen swooped back over to the first circle and connected the first and seventh together with a horizontal line. The eight and ninth circles were connected to the seventh circle with diagonal lines.

Albus then turned around and headed toward the basement stairs with James, Lily, Harry, and his pen following closely behind him. He descended the stairs and entered the basement. He walked until the rune sequence was above him and then the pen zipped forward and drew an infinity symbol on the ground. He whipped around, back up the stairs, and out of the house. The headmaster walked about ten feet away from the front door and the pen jumped forward again and drew a fiery infinity in the air. Albus was off again and repeated the process three other times outside the house so that there were four fiery infinities surrounding the house on each side. When they arrived back at the front door, the pen zipped up and away. It flew above the house and wrote another fiery infinity about ten feet in the air, directly above the center of the house. The pen then disintegrated in the wind, its work done.

The group walked back inside to the rune sequence. The headmaster then stepped forward and let his aura loose. It saturated the rune sequence in magic until it glowed blue.

Once it was glowing strong enough, Albus called out, "Secrecy," the first circle glowed red, "in the soul of," the second circle followed, "he who willingly gave blood," the third circle turned. "Powered by stone," fourth circle, "water," fifth circle, "and magic," sixth circle. "Activated in the presence of souls," seventh circle, "who know not the secret," eighth circle, "and those who hold malice in their hearts," ninth circle. He reached down and touched the tenth and outermost circle and said, "Activate…"

The red glow intensified then it blazed white. A wave of blue sprung from the runes and rushed outward in a sphere and washed over the family. It continued on its path, passing through walls and furniture until it hit the infinity symbols. It was like a wave hitting the breakwater. The magic surged again and again, going higher and higher until it completely filled the area cube the infinities shaped.

Albus said, "It's done. I will go now and tell Sirius. I suggest you get comfortable, you may be here a long time."

The Headmaster turned and walked out the door without even a backward glance and closed it behind him. The sound of the door closing seemed to take on a whole new meaning. The Potters felt well and truly separated from the world.

**A.N. So, you saw a glimpse of what magic in this universe is like. I've got big plans for magic in this story. Speaking of plans, I plan the next chapter to be the last prologue-like chapter. The fourth chapter should be when it starts focusing on Harry. Well, catch you on the flip side.**

**See ya,**

**Cerberus**


	3. Chapter 3

**A.N. Happy Independence Day! It's the 234****th**** birthday of the United States! Wooooooooohh!**

**Now that that is out of the way, I would like to apologize for my long absence. I would have gotten this up much sooner if I hadn't gone to see my family on the East Coast and I was fully focused on this story. Unfortunately, I'm not. I'm rewriting an older story of mine that I wrote a few years ago. I pulled out the old papers for it and decided I'd give it another crack. It's not up yet even though I have about two chapters done and the third well on its way.**

**Anyway, I would like to thank everyone who has reviewed. You all have been very kind. I would also like to thank everyone who has taken their time to read my story. All I ask is that you leave a little feedback. I would especially like suggestions that would let me know if I am lacking in any area of my writing. When I say suggestions, I mean it. I will just ignore your review if you blatantly tell me what to do or complain just to complain. is a site where you can air out your own spin offs of your favorite pieces of fiction. If you don't like my spin off, then don't read mine and write your own. End of story. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own or profit from Harry Potter in any way, shape, or form.**

**Salazar's Choice**

**Chapter Three: Change of Plans**

The three of them, James, Sirius, and Lily, that is, had talked about it for many weeks now and decided to go along with their plan. Albus had drafted Sirius into being the Secret Keeper. While he was all too happy to do it, there was a catch. Everyone would expect Sirius to be the Secret Keeper, including the Dark Lord...

According to Sirius, this wouldn't do one bit...

So, instead, Sirius asked if he could possibly switch the secret to someone else. Someone they trusted just as much as him but wouldn't be so obvious. One person popped in their minds...

Peter Pettigrew...

He was a perfect candidate. He was quiet, he was underestimated most of the time, and he was a Marauder. All those had to count for something, right?

Well, James, Lily, and Sirius thought so. So early one late October morning, Peter walked to the warded cottage in Godric's Hollow. He shifted from one foot to the other straightening his floor length brown trench coat and his fedora over his mouse brown hair. He tucked in the messy edges of his white dress shirt and straightened his black tie over his ample girth.

How was he **not** supposed to be nervous? Sirius just sent him a message late last night that said that something had come to James', Lily's, and his attention and they needed to discuss this issue with him. Peter looked at the area surrounding the hidden cottage from his position across the street, checking for any interlopers, and then made his way to the house. He walked through the wards; it felt like walking through a wall of liquid cement. There was no doubt in his mind that his lord would never breach these powerful barriers without the secret. And on top of tha-…

What the hell was he thinking? He couldn't be caught thinking about his lord so close to Lily Potter! She was one of the greatest mind mages of the century, just below Dumbledore and the Dark Lord himself. It was dangerous to be thinking such thoughts, much too dangerous…

After clearing his mind, Peter walked to the door and rapped softly on the wood three times. He waited a moment and then heard approaching footsteps beyond the door. There was a click as the door was unlocked and then it swung inward. James stood in the doorway in his customary black leather trench coat, white dress shirt, black tie, black slacks, and polished black leather dress shoes.

His hazel eyes shined with joy at seeing his friend as his smile seemed to brighten the space around him but…there was gauntness about his face, shadows underneath his eyes, and his eyes also seemed to gleam in a way they never did before…

They shone with resolve to do whatever was necessary.

Was it any wonder why Peter clung to James in school? This moment showed to Peter more than any other why he always felt the urge to stick around.

This man before him was dangerous…but now, there was an even more dangerous man out there. His name: Lord Voldemort.

Peter quickly placed his patented I'm-such-a-loyal-friend smile on his face and greeted James warmly, "James, how are you doing?"

James answered with weariness but still with a smile, "I'm doing fine. How are things for you, Peter?"

Peter shrugged and said, "Well, could be better if You-Know-Who was running causing havoc," he finished with an uneasy chuckle.

James' smile slipped and he looked down and sighed, "Wouldn't we all be better…"

He then looked up and motioned for Peter to follow him with a jerk of his head and walked inside. Peter steeled himself, clearing his mind, and followed behind James.

They walked quickly and Peter realized they were headed to the den. They walked into said room and there was Sirius, lounging on one of the red leather couches. He was wearing a white dress shirt with the topmost button undone and black slacks, much like James and himself, but wore instead of a black tie, a red one. His skin was pale and he had high cheek bones, a straight and regal nose, and fuller than average lips. His grey-purple eyes shined with hope and dreams as he ran his hands through trimmed black hair. Throw haphazardly next to him was his usual red trench coat and red fedora. Sirius was definitely not a man who blended in.

He always gave off an air of relaxation even in the most tense of atmospheres. He smiled in a roguish manner with his lips pulled back over straight, ivory teeth at Peter and greeted him with a two finger salute. On the other red couch was one of the most dangerous people alive right now, according to Peter anyway.

She was looking at him with fondness in her beautiful green eyes as a feeling of calmness encompassed him. Lily Potter was not a woman to cross as far as Peter was concerned. She was a master in Sky, Elemental Runes, and could become a Potions mistress as well.

She could summon some of the most powerful elementals since Merlin himself and it was said she could summon storms just as powerful as Rowena Ravenclaw did back in the days of the Founders.

Peter still got shivers when he thought back to the Death Eater Massacre of the Starry Vale. The Starry Vale was a beautiful valley tucked in between two high mountain peaks in the north part of the country. It was far away from most civilization and only a handful of people lived there. On moonless nights, the stars in the sky above shone like diamonds on black velvet.

It was truly a beautiful site…or at least, it was.

It was about two years ago when Death Eaters captured the valley and pillaged and murdered the people there. They paid particular attention to the child daycare center. Lily, once she heard of the atrocities that happened at the daycare including rape and murder, became a one woman army.

It was after she left with a gale force wind that the Order of the Phoenix moved to try and intercept her…

It was a useless attempt…

_23:51-September 7, 1979-The Starry Vale_

_All Lily could see was red and all she could feel was an inferno of fury so great she felt she might burst into flames. She took this anger and molded and directed towards those...worms..._

_She would make them pay seventyfold for what they did to those children. These were her thoughts before she uttered a single word and was wrapped in feathers made of wind that flew her away to her destination: the Starry Vale._

_She landed on her feet as her wings of wind left her and kicked up a cloud of dust with their departure. She could see them through the dust; men covered in black cloaks and bone white masks standing in front of burning buildings that lit up the night sky. Lord Voldemort detested mundanes after all, he would not have his followers wear the normal clothes of Magical England, that being trench coats, dress shirts, ties, and slacks for men while coats, blouses, skirts, stockings, and high heels for women._

_He instead dressed his followers in the clothes of traditional mage families along with masks resembling skulls._

_She took a deep breath and then released; the calm had passed and the storm had come! She snapped her eyes open, blazing green with magic, and started intoning words in a strange screechy language that made one think of a bird of prey._

_She spat out these words like they were the foulest of curses towards an even fouler enemy. The air around her went from dead still to hurricane force in a split second, the dissipating dust disappearing within an instant. Above, clouds as black as the dark side of the moon formed and swirled menacingly._

_Lily continued with her strange language as the heavens opened above them. It did not drizzle, it did not rain, it did not pour… No, it was as if a wall of water descended from the sky and had no plans of letting up, it put out the fire quite effectively. Still she continued as lightning flashed and thunder shook the ground. The lightning struck trees and even seemed to home in on a Death Eater… Nothing but a charred corpse remained._

_The rain turned into sleet and then snow and a blizzard of titanic proportions appeared. Death Eaters froze in their tracks…literally._

_Preceding all of this, the Death Eaters had been unable to stop her. Sky was an area effect type of language and there was only so much area. When you and another Sky user overlapped into one another's area; it came down to sheer will power. Who ever put more heart, more intent, more resolve into their magic won. Lily had put her soul into casting tonight._

_On top of that, there was no point trying to do anything else in storm._

_It should have been over; quite a few Death Eaters were stuck in ice and needed time to break from their prisons, time they did not have. The rest of the Death Eaters were behind cover, praying to every deity they could think of; they knew they could not go up against a mage of Lily's level. _

_But Lily was not done yet, not by a long shot. She fell to her knees and etched into the ground with her magic a circle which she put an upside down flame-like symbol. She placed above the first circle a second circle half the size of the first. In it she put a swirl, much like a whirlpool. A third circle was drawn to the left of the first, the same size and distance as the second. She etched another upside down flame in the circle. A fourth circle was made diagonally from the third, higher and to the left._

_Lily flicked open a small blade in her left hand and made a small cut on the inside of her right forearm. She flicked the drop of blood off the knife into the fourth circle and continued. She made a fifth circle to the right of the first, the same size and distance as the second and third. She etched another upside down flame. She drew a final large circle around the entire rune sequence. She did all of this in less twenty seconds._

_She pocketed the knife that she used earlier and placed her right hand on the edge of the large circle. She channeled her magic into the sequence until it glowed a royal blue, "I summon a soul," the first circle became crimson, "of water," the second circle followed suit, "powered by my magic," the third circle lit, "and my blood," the fourth, "activated by my magic," the fifth circle came to life. "Activate!"_

_The runes blazed white as a pillar of blue shot from the center. It seemed to be spinning as it became wider and wider until it exploded outward in a wave of water drenching everything in a hundred feet of it. This included frozen and hiding Death Eaters._

_Lily breathed slowly as the rune sequence flared one last time before folding and crumpling in on itself, leaving a small puddle of white light. This light then raced up her right hand that still touched the ground and formed two runes in a vertical column on her forearm, just above the small cut from earlier._

_The first was a swirl much like a whirlpool, announcing the element of the elemental: water. The second was a flame like symbol that announced the intent the elemental was summoned with: malevolence._

_They glowed white and flared. Then a thin tendril of blood extended from the cut and connected to the second rune and then the first; the runes turned crimson. Lily nodded; everything was set._

_She thrust out her hand in front of her and arced her fingers menacingly. From the shadows came forth tendrils of water that gathered in front of her in the air as a sphere. It became larger and larger until it was as tall and wide as a full grown man. Lily dropped her hand to her side, letting the elemental take its form._

_A large reptilian head formed that had a large webbed crest and long thin fangs. This head parted from the sphere and stretched itself further and further from it, making the sphere smaller in the process. It continued stretching until all that was left was a long serpent creature made of water; it was either a sea serpent or a one headed hydra._

_It swayed back and forth in front of Lily waiting for orders._

_The Order then arrived. They came in a flurry of gusts each one ready to fight. They then saw Lily in front of the elemental. They could see Death Eaters in various conditions. Most were hidden behind walls and barriers, shivering and nursing various scrapes and bruises from running into things and slipping to the ground in the downpour._

_Many of the Order bowed their heads; they knew what would happen next. Others were frightened out of their minds, Peter being one of them. James looked away, not being able to see his newly wedded wife do what she was about to do while Dumbledore watched with cold indifference._

_"Leave the group that just arrived alone," Lily whispered. This carried through the still air like a roar of thunder. She looked straight into the small red pinpricks of lights that signified the elementals eyes and ordered, "Kill the rest."_

_The elemental roared in a strange manner, as if you were on a shore and it was roaring at you from under the water; it was terrifying none the less. Most of the Death Eaters bolted and tried to escape in a gust of wind but they kept colliding with a wall of wind that threw them back to their original position. As they were trying to escape, the elemental went wild._

_It destroyed ruined buildings and torn apart Death Eaters with its fangs making quick works of the group. Lily seemed to be directing it with her rune inscribed arm. She then called the elemental in front of her once more as a sphere of water and then ripped her arm from side to side with a war cry. A giant tentacle of water followed her movements and destroyed buildings and Death Eaters alike. Lily thrust her arm forward once or twice, spearing a Death Eater on the deadly sharp point the tentacle formed._

_Lily stood for a moment after her onslaught and listened. She then slammed her palm to the ground with a grunt and then water sphere followed suit, slamming into the ground and spreading in a wave, washing away the blood, gore, and wreckage._

_She summoned the water before her once more and saw the sphere was now three times as large as before and also very red, it seemed to have absorbed all the water on the ground along with the blood. She let it form once more and was surprised to see not one, but three heads: a hydra then._

_Lily cocked her head from side to side, listening… Her right hand then flashed off to the side as if she was reaching for something. The middle head followed suit, it raced into the wreckage of a building and smashed against walls and finally seized something. As the head retracted to its original length, everyone could see a Death Eater without his mask in its jaws held by the back of his robes._

_It was a boy of eighteen and he looked like he was about to piss himself. Lily motioned her right hand towards herself and the hydra lowered its head so that the boy was just above the ground._

_"You will tell me everything you know." There was such certainty in her voice that the boy almost felt compelled. It was a moment later that he realized what she had done. She exerted her magic through her voice and infused it with a command. This was something only the most powerful of mages were capable of. He was scared but her hated being commanded by an impudent mudblood, a name that was used during the Founders' time and that should still be used today!_

_"__**I will reveal nothing to you, scum of the earth! Nasmo-…!**__"_

_Lily, during his screeching, casually flicked her right hand twice, once in each direction. Following her movements, the left and right heads of the hydra darted forward and latched onto his left and right arms._

_He screamed in agony, the thin fangs of this monster piercing flesh, muscle, and even bone. Lily asked after he stopped screaming and was only whining in pain, "Ready to talk?"_

_He told them everything he knew: his name, where he came from, all the Death Eaters he knew, where his base was located, and who gave the orders to destroy the Starry Vale and do everything they did, including the murder and rape of all the children._

_"It was the Daemon Knight, one of the Dark Lord's lieutenants! I swear on my life that he specifically ordered us to do what we did! Many of us were disgusted and against it but then…he threatened to throw us to the Shadow Flame…"_

_His voice near the end was so quiet and terrified that Lily almost felt pity for him…almost._

_That was when James stepped forward, "What is the Shadow Flame? We have encountered it in combat before but all anyone sees is smoke and black fire."_

_The boy replied, "It is said that it is a chimera; a fusion of a flame elemental, dragon, and dementor. I have only seen it once and only for a second…but I will never forget it…_

_It has the body of a dragon, covered in black scales and wicked horns. Its eyes are entirely white with no iris or pupil. Its front claws are grotesque and hand-like and it crouches on it back legs with its back hunched forward. It has wings that resemble the cloak of a dementor and drapes over much of its body like a cloak. It is covered in black flames that give off smoke that smells of brimstone. From its mouth that is filled with long, thin, yellow fangs and a black tongue that acid-like saliva drips comes forth frozen air that frosts over anything it touches…_

_It is the most terrifying thing that I have ever seen…"_

_The Death Eater was crying in fear as he hung from the elemental's mouths. Lily stood there with her emerald eyes scorching the boy with their gaze while James looked deep in thought from hearing the description of the Shadow Flame._

_"It is as I feared," this came from the Headmaster. Everyone looked to him, including the Death Eater._

_Dumbledore seemed to be saying it to himself more than anyone else, "Tom has successfully recreated a Daemon Lord, the original speakers of Daemon."_

_Sirius clothed in a red trench coat asked, "What can these things do?"_

_Dumbledore's eyes seemed to focus in on Sirius, as if he had been daydreaming, "You should know better than anyone what this beast is capable of, after all, you are a master in Daemon."_

_Sirius shrugged sheepishly, "I'm not well versed in its origins..."_

_Dumbledore took off his glasses and massaged the bridge of his nose before replacing them, "Daemon Lords, as I said, are the original masters of Daemon. Humans are unique in the fact that we can utilize all four Ancient Languages while the beings that created them could only use the one."_

_James said, "I'm sensing that there is a but…"_

_Albus grimaced at James, "But…we can never compare to the languages original masters in power. For example, if I exerted all my magic to create a stream of fire, it would not even be half as powerful as a Daemon Lord's stream of fire."_

_Sirius asked reluctantly, "So, what you're saying is that were totally, utterly, and irreversibly screwed…?"_

_Albus answered, "Well…not irreversibly…"_

_Sirius said sarcastically and monotonously, "Oh, I feel so much better. We're only totally and utterly screwed, yay…"_

_Albus gave Sirius a wry smile, "Yes, not irreversibly so long as we have Lily and even less so when Remus returns from his trip among the werewolf colonies. Now then," Dumbledore's face became serious, "the Shadow Flame is, if our friend here is telling the truth, a modern day Nasmoth, which is the actual name of these Daemon Lords._

_If you remember from your lessons, the Age of the Daemon Lords came to an end at the hands of the Sky Lords because Daemon magic is weak against Sky magic."_

_James asked, "So what you're saying is that it's possible for Remus and Lily to take down the Shadow Flame because it's weak against Sky magic and they're both masters of Sky." _

_"Exactly."_

_Peter just stood quietly o the sidelines as they talked of what to do with the information just gathered among the wreckage. Shortly after, they relocated to Head Quarters and talked well into the early hours of the morning._

_Back in the Present_

In the end, Remus was injured and wasn't able to face the Shadow Flame and Lily was left to face it alone in a battle at a later date. She battled with it for many hours among the ruins of Constellation Castle, a floating island off the south coast of Wales. She and the beast battled on and above the towers of the unstable castle, furthering its destruction, until finally she struck it down with a blade of lightning.

The Shadow Flame fell off the island into the waves below.

Its master, the Daemon Knight, was furious and tried to kill Lily but Dumbledore interfered and the Daemon Knight was taken, against his will, away from the battle by the Sky Archer.

Peter had always been a bit uncomfortable around Lily before, a beautiful red head with smoldering green eyes, creamy skin, and a curvaceous body, but after he slaying of the Shadow Flame, that feeling of discomfort warped into full blown terror.

The way her eyes seemed to burn, not twinkle like Dumbledore's did when he was amused. It seemed like when they looked at you they could be anything from a warm fire on a cold night to a blazing inferno that turned your body to ashes. Peter had yet to experience the inferno but he knew if he did, he would not come out alive.

Today she was wearing a teal colored, thin, clingy jacket over a similarly fitting blue shirt and dark blue jeans. She wore a pair of loose, iris colored, suede boots that covered her jeans up to mid shin. This was unusual since she usually went without footwear because they couldn't go that far from the house anyway and had been warned to try and just stay inside by Dumbledore.

James then caught Peter's attention and told him, "Take a seat," as he motioned to a big red leather recliner. Peter slowly removed his coat and hat and draped them on the back of the chair before taking a seat.

James flopped down next to Lily, who snuggled into his warmth, on the red leather couch. Peter got shivers as he watched her pressed up against James, no matter how scared he was of her; he had always secretly craved her. He ran his index finger in between his collar and neck, trying to get much needed air and clear his head.

He was looking at James but his eyes flickered over to Lily once or twice. Her eyes seemed to have darkened and her smile had disappeared into a straight line that seemed to curl downwards at the edges. He quickly tore away his eyes and looked between Sirius and James; she always looked like that when he had just thought something along the lines of what he had just thought.

He gulped and started gnawing on his thumbnail, a nervous habit.

The room was silent for a moment except for his nail biting and the tick of the grandfather clock. Sirius finally broke the silence with his rough but suave voice that he always used without thinking, "Well, Peter, let's get straight to the point."

Peter almost swallowed his tongue in nervousness; it always meant something bad whenever Sirius said that. He nodded reluctantly and Sirius continued, "There is a spy in the Order…"

Peter's heart jumped into his throat as he struggled to keep his mind clear and keep his emotions under control while trying to keep his face from showing his internal turmoil.

"We don't who it is," Peter's heart nearly gave out with that statement and he unintentionally let out a sigh. Sirius wasn't really paying attention because he was formulating his next sentence in his head, James just gave him that Peter-you're-so-weird look, but Lily, oh boy, her eyes trained in on him and Peter moved to quickly cover up his mistake.

He said in a disappointed voice, "I wish we knew so we could teach that no good traitor a lesson…" He finished with his trademark nervous laugh and James nodded in agreement while Lily seemed to not be studying him as much as the second before. Sirius was still going over something in his head.

Sirius seemed to suddenly find the right words, "Anyway, everyone in the Order knows that James and Lily went into hiding with Harry under the Fidelius with me as the Secret Keeper. James, Lily, and I have talked about it and concluded that it would be best if you replaced me as the Secret Keeper because…no offense, but no one would think of you. So what do you think...?"

Peter started hyperventilating, it took every fiber of his being not to think of the rewards he would receive once he gave the Dark Lord the location of the Potters. It took every inkling of focus to think that it was such a responsibility and so dangerous to accept the offer so that Lily would pick up on it…

Apparently, he did it pretty well because Lily reassured, "Peter, we wouldn't ask you unless we were entirely sure you could do it but…it is you're choice."

Peter, his entire body shaking, answered in a quivering voice, "I-I'll do it!"

This caused smiles to bloom on the faces of everyone in the room and Sirius encouraging, "There's that Marauder spirit!" and James thanking, "You have no idea how much this means to us, Peter…"

Lily broke this up with a single question, "Well, what are we waiting for?"

She untangled herself from James and gracefully got to her feet and the males in the room followed suit.

Lily said, "I have to go outside and put up temporary wards to handle the backlash that may result when we break the Fidelius temporarily. I'll be back soon."

With that said, she was out the door. A silence descended upon the room and Peter was the one who broke it a moment later, "So, how's Harry doing?"

James' face suddenly lit up and a smile so large it threatened to split his face in half appeared. "He's doing great! He's such a smart kid, he's been saying different words for a while now but he's started talking in sentences, albeit not really grammatically correct sentences that you need a moment to decipher because of his pronunciation. Would you like to see him?"

Peter answered with a smile, "Sure!"

On the inside, Peter was once again cursing his luck. He thought they would talk about Harry and that would be it; he didn't want to see the brat! It didn't matter though, because James led him up the oak staircase that was just outside the den and to a white door that had a handmade and hand painted sign that stated: Harry's Room. It was decorated with snitches, bludger, quaffles, and broomsticks.

Peter never understood why James and Sirius had such a fascination with quidditch. They had both been star players on the Gryffindor War Ball team. War Ball was much less complicated then quidditch and much easier to follow as well.

Peter just couldn't understand two teams of seven flying above a field on **broomsticks**. The idea of the quaffle and making goals with it; sensible. Having three goal posts to choose from; not so much. On top of that, there are two balls flying around trying to **brain** anyone who gets close to them and two people on each team to direct these flying menaces. Even worse is that the game didn't end until either **both** captains consented to it or a **tiny, flying, golden ball** the size of a mundane golf ball was caught by one of the two so called Seekers. The game was utter nonsense to anyone with half a brain.

Now, two teams of twelve duking it out hundreds of feet in the air using cloud trotters while trying to out fly and outmaneuver the other in order to make the most goals in a period of one and a half hours with a maximum of a half an hour overtime if the referee deems it necessary. Now, that's a game that not only makes sense but is fun and even better to play.

Peter shook his head one last time before James opened the door. The floor was covered in toys of various size, shape, texture, and material along with many different picture books that illustrated many common things in the Magical and Mundane Worlds.

Sitting in front of one such book was little Harry. He had gotten bigger since Peter had last seen him. He was wearing a pair of small sweat pants, a little black shirt, a warm jacket, and a pair of socks with designs of a popular children's book on them. Harry looked up from his picture book and his eyes lit up in recognition as his chubby face formed an innocent smile. With his black, tousled hair, straight nose, and stubborn chin; he looked much like his father… But his eyes, they were the exact same as his mother's and they seemed to be able to see beyond the obvious.

"Unca Paddy! Daddy! …buh, it the shivry man…"

Harry pouted when his eyes set on Peter. Peter always wondered if Harry with his innocence could sense the darkness about him. Maybe that's why Harry had never liked Peter. Who knows? The point, however, is that when Harry's eyes started flickering like his mother's, Peter honestly wondered what this child would have been like when he grew up… Would he have been handsome, powerful, and loved by all? Would he have been average? Would he have gone dark?

Peter knew the answer as Harry's eyes seemed to still be smoldering; he would have been great, greater than even his lord and Dumbledore. He probably would have been the greatest mage of his time. It would not matter, though… Once the Dark Lord deemed him ready to die, he would die and fade to oblivion… No one would ever celebrate the name Harrison James Potter.

Peter cleared his thoughts as he watched James swoop forward and scoop Harry up a while proclaiming, "And he is the fruit of the union between Marauder mischief and fiery intelligence; he is Little Prongs!"

With his announcement he swung Harry above and around him and while making the sound of those mundane contraptions that flew. James spun Harry over to Sirius and Sirius exclaimed dramatically, "Gasp! Can it be? The child of my brother by bond? Is it Prongslet?"

Harry giggled and replied, " 'Lo, Unca Paddie!"

Sirius took him from James, spun him around, and asked, "Is this my favorite godson, Harry?"

Harry answered with another giggle, "I you only gawson, Unca Paddie!"

Sirius placed Harry on his shoulders and confirmed, "Indeed you are. As such, I feel I must spoil you rotten seeing as how your father can't because there are things only the Misses can do for your father that she won't do anymore if he does!" Sirius said his last sentence in a stage whisper.

James' face colored and he scolded, "Sirius, no innuendos in front of Harry!"

Sirius then complained, "But that's why they made innuendos; so we could talk about adult things in front of the children, they look clueless as they try and figure it out, and we then laugh off our as-pples… Yes, apples…"

He looked over at James sheepishly for his little slip up and shrugged. He quickly changed the subject and flipped Harry off his shoulders and over his head to land in front of Peter.

Peter smiled down at Harry, hoping he'd stop glaring at him. Harry just pouted and said, "No like tubby man. Tubby man weird!"

Peter's smile became fixed didn't bother to correct Harry, he had to admit he didn't like Harry much either. James scolded Harry and got him to apologize and he did but everyone knew Harry didn't actually mean. Oh well, it's better than nothing, right…?

That's when Lily walked in. Harry immediately ran over to his mother and started talking very fast in half formed sentences. The conversation seemed to involve a lot of broomsticks that went, 'Vooomm!' bludgers that hit things with a, "Bang!"

Lily seemed to understand it perfectly, however, and after he finished, kissed him and told him, "It seems you had a very exciting day! I think it's time you went morning and had breakfast!"

Harry seemed to start on a rant at the mention of breakfast. His favorite breakfast topic seemed to involve pancakes. Lily nodded and said, "Tulip will make you breakfast, so you be good for her, okay?"

Harry nodded and Lily called, "Tulip!"

It a shower of green sparks appeared a small being. She was only about a foot tall and wore a plain green dress and little cloth shoes. Her skin was pale and she had long curly brown hair and looked very human-like except for a few features. One was her larger than normal green eyes that upped her overall cuteness factor, another was a set of cat whiskers which extended from her face, and last, a pair of cat ears perched on top of her head. Tulip was a forest brownie that enjoyed working for the Potters in return for a place to make her nest, graham crackers, and honey…lots of honey.

Brownies generally replaced the use of House Elves a hundred years ago or so when people became sick of how they were taken advantage of. It didn't help that brownie were very adorable and just as ready to work as House Elves.

Tulip curtsied with a giggle, "You rang?"

Lily smiled down at Tulip and asked, "Could you take Harry and make him breakfast and keep him occupied?"

Tulip answered cheekily, "I don't know, he just keeps getting bigger and bigger. And with the way he eats, he might just swallow me one day…"

James and Sirius chuckled and Lily asked, "Pretty please with a cherry on top?"

Tulip smiled and countered, "Make it honey and we got a deal!"

Lily answered with a giggle of her own, "Whatever you want!"

Tulip saluted and said, "You got it, Misses!"

She walked over to Harry and said, "Let's go, Bottomless Pit! Let's see how many pancakes you can stuff down your gullet today!"

Harry took Tulip's hand and said, "I wan' a bazillion pancakes wit whip cream and…and chocolate chips and strawberries and sprinkles…"

Tulip answered with a chuckle, "Whatever you want, sport," as she led him out of the room and downstairs.

Sirius shook his head and said, "If she was just four and a half feet taller and didn't have whiskers or the ears I would definitely date her… I still might even if she still had the whiskers and ears!"

James smirked, "I wouldn't let her hear you saying that…"

Sirius quirked an eyebrow, "Why not?"

Lily laughed, "Because she's looking for a man and she has a habit of making dreams come true!"

Sirius opened and then closed his mouth. He opened it again and then closed it once and said, "I should just keep my mouth shut, shouldn't I?"

James answered, "That sounds like a good idea."

Sirius folded his arms across his chest and stuck his tongue out at James before pouting at the floor. James just laughed and soon everyone joined.

Sirius just kept glaring at the floor and asked to no one in particular, "Why does everyone pick on me…?"

James threw his arm around Sirius and got him in a headlock, "Because, Padfoot, you make it much too easy!"

This comment led to a few moments of grappling before Lily, starting to become impatient, threw a wave of raw magic at them which put them on opposite sides of the room.

"Back to business. We have too much to do and we need to hurry up and change the Fidelius. Those wards I put up weren't meant to last that long…"

James and Sirius mumbled their apologies as they brushed themselves off. Peter, who was standing behind Lily, felt a feeling of annoyance in the air. Only very powerful mages could express their emotions through their aura. Peter bit his lip in a nervous manner as he wondered about Harry.

He was the child of not only a magically strong mother but a child of the Potter family. Everyone knew the Potters were direct descendants from one of Gryffindor's apprentices who later became one of Olcadan's most celebrated headmasters, Damien Potter. The Potters still held the strong affinity for the language of Damien's master. An example of this is James Potter, the greatest user of this language excluding Minerva McGonagall, the current professor of said language at Olcadan, and Albus Dumbledore, the preceding professor and current headmaster at Olcadan.

Yes, Harry would be very strong later in life but that didn't affect the here and now…right? That's true, there's no way it would make any difference… Then why did Peter still have this premonition of ill fortune for himself…?

Peter shook himself and followed James out of the room as they headed back to the den; apparently, much had been discussed since he spaced out.

When he arrived in the den, he saw that Lily had removed a large square of carpet that revealed a rune sequence carved into the wood below. The Fidelius was pulsing white in a slow, steady rhythm.

Lily was drawing infinity limiters around one of the circles; the one which had the drop of Sirius' blood. Once Lily finished, she turned to Peter with her pocket knife she always kept on. She held out to him and told him, "Just prick your finger with the point."

Peter looked at the knife with her anxiety, he had a fear of shiny objects that were going to cut him; whether it is by his own hand or not. He swallowed and slowly brought the point to his fingertip and pressed. Thankfully, the blade was very sharp and made the incision quickly with minimal pain.

Peter handed the knife back to Lily as his blood dripped down his hand towards his wrist.

Lily took it and put it back in her pocket with a word. She then grabbed onto his shoulders firmly and looked him directly in the eye, "Now then, Peter, look at me."

Peter, who had been looking off to the side as soon as she placed her hands on him, looked at her reluctantly. Lily continued, "You must be very fast and very careful. I will be focusing my complete attention on maintaining the borders that will hold back the resulting magical backlash that will result from wiping away Sirius' blood. This will fool the sequence into believing it is still whole and stop it from breaking and releasing a wave of destructive power that would probably level this house."

Peter started sweating at this information and started backing away slowly, "N-now, there's no need to be hasty…"

Lily scowled and dug her nails into Peter's shoulders and said, "It's too late to back out now! The wards are set, the preparations made, the blood has been let, the clock is running down, and **there's turning back now!"**

With that final word, Lily pointed a finger at the drop of Sirius' blood in the circle and a ray of light sprang forth and obliterated the blood. The steady beat of the rune sequence faltered and became erratic pulsing faster and faster as the light seemed to gather towards the circle that had held Sirius' blood.

Lily during this had fallen to her knees and was channeling all her power into the infinity borders. Peter locked up in fear and watched in horror as the light increased in strength and a roaring filled his ears and the floor and rafters shook. Pictures on the wall were falling to the ground as they screamed in terror, the family owl was flying around frantically through the dust coming down from the ceiling caused by the shaking, and Sirius and James were but a distant scream, telling Peter to move.

Sound started to fade as the roaring reached a crescendo in Peter's ears, the light blinding him as his breath was stolen from his lungs. And then…

Sirius and James were there, dragging him to the rune sequence. His blood was running down his arm now, staining his snow white shirt. A sense of detachment filled Peter as James and Sirius gave up. James ripped off Peter's sleeve, the one stained with blood, easily and ran to the runes as Sirius let go of Peter.

Peter didn't even realize he fell until the world was from a different perspective. It was sideways but Peter could see James stretching over the rune circle and wringing Peter's sleeve. A drop fell from it and hit the circle…

And like that, the light faded and noise died…

It was quiet except for the sound of Harry and Tulip in the kitchen. Peter, from his position could see the runes at the bottom of the doorway and could decipher them enough to realize it was a dampening barrier to prevent sound, light, and even excess magic from escaping the room…

They were totally unaware that they were almost killed just now by his broken courage…

He didn't even finish that thought before he was hauled to his feet by his collar courtesy of Sirius. Sirius looked downright pissed as it was.

"**You stupid gutless worm! You almost killed everyone because you lost your nerve! Why I ought to put you out of your misery, you fat piece of shi-!**"

"_**Sirius!**_"

Sirius' red face quickly lost its color as he looked to the side. Lily stood there; her hair whipping violently in her own personal wind, her skin literally glowed as the occasional spark arced from her fingers to the floor, and her eyes were unearthly…

They did not have pupils, irises, or even sclera. They were just a solid emerald that did not glow, but burned. Green flame that was hotter than any star.

It was terrifying…

Slowly her hair settled down, the glow of energy that raced across her skin flickered out, and the burning eyes faded revealing her normal smoldering gaze.

Her voice was quiet, "Sirius, do not be hard on Peter… We sometimes forget that not all of us have the same will and power as others… "

She turned to Peter and said, "I must apologize. I thought your will and magic would be enough to withstand the pressure from the runes; to withstand the dread that springs up within oneself when a presence of great magical power, much greater than your own, appears before you… It seems that the energy the headmaster placed within the rune sequence was too great for your own aura to negate and your will was not strong enough…" Lily said this with the utmost sincerity but this did not stop the shame and self loathing that sprung up in Peter.

He hated himself when moments like these occurred… When James, Sirius, Remus, and Lily would be doing something dangerous for the Order and they would perform powerful magic almost effortlessly… He hated how he struggled with the most…mediocre of magic and always held them back… Most of all, he hated** them** for making him feel this way! That's why he joined the Dark Lord because he could grant Peter what he craved more than anything: **power**…

Peter than froze in fear; he had forgotten to restrain himself in the presence of Lily who did not even have to dive into his mind to hear his thought! He slowly looked up at her to, expecting a look of fury and then receiving righteous judgment passed to him by her hand!

Instead, she had her arms folded underneath her breasts and was biting her bottom lip gazing at the ground. She appeared to be in deep thought…

Peter nearly lost control of his bladder in that moment of relief and composed himself.

"Peter," this came from a remorseful Sirius, "I'm sorry for blowing up at you earlier… I didn't mean what I said and I was just so scared, scared that we were all going to die and I just lashed out… Could you forgive me…?"

Peter's face softened and accepted Sirius' apology, "Yes, Sirius, I forgive you…"

A small smile slowly spread across Sirius face and he looked like he was about to say something when, "If you could please tell us the location of my house, I would greatly appreciate. And if you two want to finishing kissing and making up then there's a guest bedroom for that…"

James was smirking in amusement as Peter's face went bright red and Sirius dug himself a deeper hole by saying, "Maybe we will! Come, Peter, to the bedroom!" Sirius started walking to the bedroom, dragging Peter with him, until Lily said, "The secret, if you will."

Lily, apparently done thinking, smiled at Peter. Peter asked, "Uh…shouldn't Tulip be here to hear the secret?"

James answered with a slap to his own forehead, "How stupid of me? Tulip, come here please!"

Tulip appeared in a shower of green sparks with Harry floating above her, he looked quite happy to be cart wheeling aimlessly through the air.

"You called me, Broomhead?"

James smiled at Tulip's nickname for him and said, "Yes, Peter and Sirius just switched as the Secret Keeper and you need to hear the secret again."

Tulip nodded with a smile and a roll of her eyes and looked at Peter, "Right-o, lay it out for me, Tubs!"

Peter sniffed indignantly for being called out on his weight issue so bluntly and cleared his throat before stating, "The Potters live in Potter Cottage in Godric's Hollow."

Peter felt like he just shared something very valuable with everyone, as if he had just shared the exact location and combination of a vault full of priceless artifacts, jewels, and goals.

He rubbed his chest where this feeling oriented from and Sirius smiled and said, "It feels like you just told everyone the place where you stashed all your goodies, right?"

Peter nodded slowly, unsure what to think about this feeling…

James asked, "Well, since we have the business out of the way, how about we reminisce about days past over a big stack of Tulip's outstanding blueberry pancakes?"

Sirius and Peter readily agreed while Lily shook her head and picked up Harry from his airy cradle above Tulip's head. They all headed to the kitchen and laughed for an hour or more about events long since accomplished.

Peter laughed with them, ate their food, and bid them good bye with a smile on his face and friendship in thought while he plotted their downfall with dagger in hand and malice in his heart…

_00:28-October 30, 1981-Location Unknown_

"I request an audience with our Lord…"

This favor was asked by Peter who was wrapped in black robes and wore a skeletal mask. It was directed to a pair of large men that were stationed in front of a pair of large black doors in a dingy and crumbling stone corridor. They too were garbed as Death Eaters.

The one on the right stepped forward and demanded, "Show me the mark of our Lord."

Peter quickly pulled up his left sleeve and bearing the underside of his forearm revealing a gruesome and horrible tattoo that seemed to shift and move. A skull with a snake weaving through the eye sockets and mouth before posing, as if to strike something, after exiting the left eye socket; the entire thing was done in black ink.

The large Death Eater reached forward and wrapped a thick meaty hand around Peter's forearm, covering the mark. "Ah, Pettigrew, is it?" Peter nodded quickly and the Death Eater told him, "I will tell the Dark Lord you have requested a meeting with him. Any additional notes I should tell him?"

Peter nodded once more and said, "Yes, tell him I have been made the keeper of the future's shadow."

The Death Eater, curious about the strange choice of words, replied, "Er…yes, I shall tell him so."

The large man opened one of the doors just wide enough for his large body to get through and slipped inside.

Peter waited in silence with the other Death Eater guard and shuffled from foot to foot…

The other Death Eater returned not a minute later and told him, "The Dark Lord will see."

Peter nodded and moved to walk through the now open door into the darkness that held only a flickering light.

The Death Eater grabbed Peter's shoulder on the way past him and advised, "Be very quick and even more respectful… Our Lord has not had much good news of late…"

Peter nodded and licked his lips and thanked the large man and continued through.

It was very dark in the hall of his Lord. Peter stumbled once or twice as he headed towards the light. He reached it eventually.

It was the very edge of a flame within a stone fireplace that was mostly covered by the broad back of a very tall and wide leather chair. Peter could see a small table that sat next to the chair and atop of it was a large diamond cut to perfection in the form of an oval slab. It was standing up and spinning slowly on its bottom edge and within the crystal, Peter could see lively neighborhoods, bustling cities, and happy families. These neighborhoods turned into crumbling ruins, the cities into violent slums, and the families into graves.

The images changed and Peter was drawn further and further into the strange object until…a pale hand covered the crystal and pulled it away from his view. The hand had long flexible fingers; the fingers of a pianist, an artist.

The hand retreated behind the broad back of the chair and then from the chair came a question, "What is it that you need to talk about so urgently at this time of night?"

The voice was smooth, like silk, and brushed against Peter's ears like the caress of a lover. With that voice, a man could do anything…

Peter swallowed his nervousness and said, "My Lord, I have been put in a position of great power as of today…"

"Oh, then this is good news… Continue; let Lord Voldemort hear what you have to say…"

Peter, encouraged by his positive response, said, "I know of the prophecy that concerns your downfall, my Lord."

The fire in the fireplace flared up before returning to normal.

"Do you?"

The voice had now become icy, sending shivers down Peter's spine. Those shivers told him to flee while he could.

Peter moved to correct any mistake he had made, "Y-yes, I was told that it concerned the Potter's and their child."

The fire grew warmer, but not in a dangerous manner, but in a welcoming way.

"I knew it referred to the Potters but not to their child… Continue."

The voice now held curiosity.

Peter did as he was told, "Yes, it refers to their child. He is the one who is to defeat you…"

The fire became darker and black smoke started issuing from it.

"A child? A child is to defeat me?"

Disbelief coated the voice.

Peter continued, "Yes, my Lord, according to Albus Dumbledore."

More smoke started coming from the flame.

"What does Dumbledore, the doddering old **fool**!"

Annoyance was prevalent in the tome of the voice.

Peter started again without urging, "The reason I am here, my Lord, is because the Potters went into hiding months ago under the Fidelius."

The fire had recovered from its tantrum and was back to normal.

"Your point?"

The voice now sounded bored.

Peter concluded, "The point is, my Lord, is that they felt their Secret Keeper, Sirius Black, was too obvious and they switched their Secret Keeper to me…"

There was silence and then the fire went out plunging the hall into total darkness.

"My Lord…?"

There was a sound of hissing and then gas lamps on the sides of the hall sputtered to life.

Standing in front of him was Lord Voldemort.

He was about six feet and had broad shoulders and a slim body. He did not look a day older than twenty-five and had pitch black hair, ice blue eyes, pale skin, and very strong handsome features.

There was a nasty smile on his face at that moment and his eyes were locked onto Pettigrew.

The command came in a hot heavy voice, "Tell me. Tell me the secret!"

Peter shook as he steeled his nerves. Once he told Voldemort, there was no going back…

The rewards he would get for delivering the bane of the Dark Lord to him… Money, mansions, food, and…women.

Peter swallowed and decided he would try to extract one promise from his Lord.

"Could you promise me one thing before I tell you, my Lord?"

The smile on the Dark Lord's face grew larger, "Oh, a Gryffindor with the sense of a Slytherin… How rare…"

Taking this as an encouragement, Peter asked, "I would like to own Lily Potter…"

There was a moment of silence as the smile slipped from the Dark Lord's face; it was replaced by a look of contemplation.

"Well, she is a mundane born but also a very powerful mage… On top of that, she is a great beauty… Hmmm…"

Peter stayed silent as the Dark Lord thought it over…

"Very well, I'll let you have her as a plaything. Now, then… The secret…"

Voldemort's voice became heated with anticipation near the end.

Peter licked his lips; do or die, "The Potters live at the Potter Cottage in Godric's Hollow…"

A look of pure euphoria crossed the face of the Dark Lord while a sense of sickness rang through Peter's being. He felt as if he just told a child molester the location of the nearest school and gave him all the keys, to boot.

The Dark Lord promised in a low voice, "You will be rewarded well, my young friend. Leave me… I have much to ponder…"

Voldemort walked around his chair and settled into with a look of concentration. He took up the strange crystal and peered into its depths as the lamps dimmed and the hall was black before a small flame appeared in the fireplace.

Without a backwards glance, Peter fled from the hall of his Lord.

He would live to regret his decision.

**A.N. Well, you've seen some more magic of this alternate universe and that more than a few things are different such as quidditch. We'll get into the differences in greater detail as we go. Hopefully, I will be able to post the next chapter soon enough. Until next time.**

**See ya,**

**Cerberus**


	4. Chapter 4

**A.N. It's been forever since I updated this story and I really don't have reason except time got away from me. I also have a few other stories in progress. One over a hundred pages long but I'm not sure if I should put it up or not… Anyway, read and review!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own or profit from Harry Potter in any way, shape, or form.**

**Salazar's Choice**

**Chapter Four: Dying to Live**

It was Halloween, a day of ghosts, ghouls, witches, devils, and all other sorts of other nightmare creatures. At least to mundanes, anyway. The inside of the Potters' cottage was decorated with all manner of scary objects: bubbling cauldrons, silky cobwebs, a dancing skeleton, living flames, and a half dozen shrieking bats. All had been done with detail in mind and the inside of the house looked marvelous. It's not like Lily and James had anything else to do.

They would have done the outside too but what was the point? It's not like anyone would be able to truly appreciate it. So, instead, Lily and James put their all into making the inside a work of art. Lily worked out the bubbling cauldrons, living flames, and the little details like bowls of candy and the dark yet humorous atmosphere inside the house. The bubbling cauldrons were easy; throw some fog wood and fire crab bile into some water. The fog wood, which is actually a piece of drift wood that has been exposed to more than seven total days of fog and some magic, naturally produces, you guessed it, fog when it floats in water and the fire crab bile produces the boiling effect. The ingredients have no effect on the other and just do their own thing.

The living flames are just left over bits of a fire elemental. Lily had summoned a small fire elemental, bottled some of its fire, dismissed the elemental, and then released the fire. The fire then just lazily floated along the ceiling in the hallways and various rooms, perfectly content to leave everyone alone and be left alone while periodically splitting into halves and multiplying.

James had fun with the cobwebs, the bats, and, of course, the dancing skeleton. The cobwebs were conjured but James had fun creating and shooting them out of his hands onto the ceiling, walls, corners, and even people. He and Sirius had gotten into web flinging fight in the den and had it looking like some kind of spider cave. Lily was not amused. They cleaned it up but left a few in place.

For the bats, James just took some stones and changed them into the bats and set them to flying around the house every once and a while. The dancing skeleton was much harder. James turned two hundred and six stones into bones. The difficult part wasn't the changing but making sure they were all able to fit together. It took James three days to make sure they all fit nicely.

Then he had to animate the bloody thing. Animation was done by using Sky, something Lily was much better at doing. However, James didn't want her to do it because she'd have it do something boring like walking around or crawling on the floor. James wanted it doing the foxtrot with the lamp or broom and performing Swan Lake in the den and, Merlin help him, he was gonna get his Swan Lake!

Dumbledore liked the skeleton's interpretation of the ballet so much he said he was going to do that at Olcadan one of these years. James felt truly appreciated and in celebration took the mop's place and danced the waltz to a romantic song on the wireless with his creation.

However, all good things had to come to an end and Albus left, Harry was put to bed, and Lily and James retired to the sitting room that provided a view of the street. They sat quietly with small smiles on their faces as they watched the small children running back and forth toting a bag of candy with one hand and pulling their parents with the other. They imagined how Harry would act on his first Halloween out getting candy. What would he dress as? Would he be excited? Would he be sociable and talkative or would he be shy? So many possibilities…

It was Lily who felt it first. It felt like a bubble made of ice had enveloped her. It was hard to breath and she felt so cold. She had felt this aura of darkness before. She turned to James with fear in her eyes and James was looking back with tears. He held her close and kissed her soundly. He whispered in her ear, "A shift ward has already been activated so you'll have to take your cloud trotters and fly out of here. You must be quick; I'll hold him off as long as I can…"

Hot tears streaked down Lily's face and her hands wove themselves into James' hair and held on tight, "But Peter wouldn't have betrayed… He was our friend!" James looked down and said, "He was never a courageous soul. He might have been the traitor all along…" Lily shook her head and whispered, "It doesn't matter now. Promise me… Promise me you'll come back to me…" Her voice broke near the end.

James kissed her again and said, "That's one promise I won't be able to make… Now go…"

Lily looked deep into his eyes and whispered, "_I love you, James Potter. I have never loved someone more and I doubt I ever will._"

James' tears finally broke free and streamed down his face and he whispered back, "_Lily, you were always the ultimate goal in my life. I didn't care if I didn't become an auror or if I was disowned… As long as I had you, my life would be complete. I can die a happy man because what we shared was beautiful and that beauty led to our wonderful son. I love you, Lily, but I love our son more…_"

James separated himself from her and continued, "So, now I must push you away and ask you to live for our son. Go…"

Lily started, "James, I-…"

James interrupted, "**Go!**"

Lily seemed to visibly wilt before his eyes and looked at him one last time and ran to the nursery.

_Outside of Potter Cottage_

The Dark Lord had arrived about ten minutes ago. For the first five minutes he had drawn a rune sequence very carefully and then poured as much power as he could into it while suppressing his aura. Not an easy task… If his rune sequence had so much as one flaw in it or wasn't powerful enough, Voldemort didn't doubt for a second that Lily Potter wouldn't find someway to break it. Also, if his aura was released prematurely then they would escape. He was very careful in his preparations.

After the ward was completed, the next five minutes consisted of letting his aura loose, watching as his power had a physical effect on the street he was on. Black ice appeared at his feet and spread in a circular manner. Black tendrils spread just beyond the ice, digging into the street and groping for leverage, reaching for the fleeing mundanes.

He let loose a velvety laugh that ensnared the minds of one of the fleeing mundanes; an old man that hadn't moved far enough down the street and now made his way back towards the evil man. Lord Voldemort pulled up his hood as he felt his power stir inside of him. He could feel the glow of his blue eyes burning crimson.

He cast these eyes back to the old man who had reached the tendrils. They fastened and then burrowed into his skin as he screamed in pain. They stretched and grew and his skin was slowly covered with black tattoo-like marks. When his whole body was covered, his screaming stopped and then he started to twitch as his body shook and seemed to change.

His muscles grew and hardened as his clothes shredded. Black slime started dripping off his body and these drops resulted in small black worms that burrowed into the earth and grew into circular areas of black tendrils which slowly turned to black ice as it continued spreading.

Lord Voldemort laughed again. Yes, his magic was truly magnificent. It was so powerful that it literally corrupted those around him. The Corrupted would spread the corruption and corrupt others as they went on killing sprees. They, unfortunately, had short life spans. A mature healthy mundane would only live for three days if corrupted and a mage for six.

The Dark Lord shrugged it off. It was of no consequence. He only made a Corrupted to distract everyone and make a mess for Dumbledore. He was the only one capable of completely purging the corruption at this moment in time. Sure, aurors could destroy corruption as well but not nearly as well as Dumbledore. Voldemort smiled maliciously as the Corrupted dashed off at inhuman speeds to begin the corruption of Godric's Hollow.

The Dark Lord cast his eyes back to the Potter's house and made his way to the door. If they haven't sensed him by now then they didn't deserve to be mages. He stopped in front of the door and sensed all it had was a simple locking spell. He snorted. How foolish it was to only rely on the Fidelius sequence when it was such a powerful mage hunting them.

Voldemort took a moment to seal away his aura again; he wanted to have a little fun with his latest victims. He couldn't exactly do that if they passed out in his presence. After he had sealed up his power, he held up his hand and commanded in a quiet voice, "Screena."

The word echoed through the night air as a cold breeze sprung up and the lock clicked open. The Dark Lord Voldemort smirked as he shaped his magic around the door handle and twisted the knob with a twitch of his wrist. He pushed it open with his magic and stepped in.

_With James_

He felt numb as he made his way to the entrance hall. He knew he was going to die and he was willingly walking to his death. He thought about the happiness in his life as he walked the familiar route. So many memories, hopes, and dreams. The short distance that was so familiar seemed to stretch for miles and by the time James reached his destination, he felt as if he had aged a lifetime.

He took one last breath before letting his aura loose. The entrance hall groaned as the weight of his magic pressed upon it. While Albus had easily pressed James and Lily to the floor, it did not mean they were weak. Far from it, in fact. There were times that people had died from the raw power the Headmaster wielded. James started focusing his magic into his hands, directing it into the shards that were once a vase. It had shattered when James let loose his magic. James moved the shards with his magic in front of the door as he heard it unlock and watched as it was slowly pushed open.

There standing in the doorway was the Dark Lord Voldemort. He was tall, broad shouldered, and lean. He was covered in a black robe and all that could be seen was a pair of red eyes. The time to act had come.

James screamed, "**Naesh!**" and the shards infused with his magic sprung up as a pride of hunting lions and lionesses as the room seemed to shift. They roared and pounced upon the dark being only to be repelled with the words, "Screea Rathia!" A wall of wind swirled into existence and threw the lions back. Voldemort continued by chanting, "Rumoth Navil!" Dropping from his clenched fist was a whip of crimson fire that burnt the floor as the house shook.

James responded with, "Naedish!" and the room shifted again as the biggest lion started getting bigger until he was almost eight feet tall at the head and lunged at Voldemort. The Dark Lord laughed as his flame whip burned hotter and he slung it forward and beheaded the giant. He slashed it towards the other lions and sliced them apart while the false animals tried to dodge. Instead of the wounds cauterizing, they spilled blood in gallons as it poured from the bodies and spread across the floor, sizzling where it met the Dark Lord's flame whip.

While Voldemort had done this, James had called in his decorative bats and sent them flying at the Dark Lord but not before enlarging each of them to the size of a large dog. The Dark Lord just smirked and pointed his left palm towards the approaching bats as he intoned, "Screeria." From his hand burst a wall of frozen air that turned each of the bats into ice sculptures and froze the blood on the floor and also capped off the wounds of the lions with frozen blood, stopping the source altogether. Voldemort flicked his hand and the fire sliced through the winged vermin easily.

James was breathing heavily now. If this was just an ordinary battlefield then he would have been fine but Voldemort's aura seemed to sap him of strength, much like a dementor. It also didn't help that he had to pour in almost twice as much magic for a spell to work.

That's what happens when you're severely outclassed in magical strength. Two opponents' aura clash against each other and when you're significantly weaker, your aura becomes stifled making it harder to use magic. If someone is so overwhelmed with a person's aura, it is possible that that someone will be unable to use their magic because their magic has been, for lack of better term, restrained. It was one of the reasons Voldemort, and even Dumbledore, were so feared; how can you fight someone who can make you defenseless with just their aura?

That's what was happening to James. Voldemort was unleashing his aura, bit by bit, and James' magic was being restrained slowly but surely. James knew that Voldemort would soon tire of this game and overwhelm him before striking him down. James knew that this was the last chance he would get to strike. That translated into one thing, something a mundane said once to James…

"Time to bring out the big guns…"

James gathered his magic and thrust his magic into the ground as he slapped his hands against the floor and bellowed, "**Winary!**"

Between James and Voldemort a jagged pillar of stone, twenty five feet tall and ten feet in diameter, pierced the floor and torn off the roof, exposing the room to the elements as loose pieces of earth seem to float in a low gravity field. Voldemort still smirked but it was more appreciative in a way, as if he was mildly impressed by the mass of the stone before him.

James grit his teeth and rushed forward, slamming his hands against the stone pillar. He channeled all his strength, all of his hatred for his enemy, sorrow for his life that was about to be cut short, and, finally, all of his devotion and love for his wife and child into the stone monolith. He slumped against the stone in exhaustion and whispered into the stone, "Winarysh…"

There was silence for a moment as James felt like he was being squeezed for every drop of magic held within his veins by the combination of the Dark Lord's aura and his own will to soak the stone with magic. Voldemort waited patiently for the final act of James Potter before the curtains closed on his life as the remaining walls shifted again because of James' spell. The distant scream of a child and the roar of a Corrupted seemed to be a signal.

There was a loud crack from the stone that disrupted the stillness in the room. Another crack and another sounded after that. Dark Lord Voldemort let the smile of an art enthusiast cross his face. He had underestimated James Potter or at least what he was capable of. Never in Voldemort's most treacherous of thoughts did he believe that James Potter would be able to create a golem of such massive proportions.

It was standing upon two massive legs that support a torso that was only as half as thick as one of the legs and arms that were more like battering rams that had a joint. A small head, in proportion with the rest of the body anyways, sat at equal height with the shoulders and its body extended another five feet above the head giving it a hunch back look, except its hunch tapered off to a jagged point. It stood about thirty feet high from base to tip and its arm span was at least twenty-five feet.

It roared at the Dark Lord and swung an arm around on a collision course with Voldemort. It was at that moment Voldemort felt it was time to stop playing. He unleashed his aura and not even a half a foot from his face, the arm of the golem had stopped dead. James, who had collapsed to the floor, he felt his body dying from the strain. James wondered if there had even been a point to this charade as he "dueled" the Dark Lord.

He heard Voldemort walk under the arm of the petrified golem and in between its legs. His pace was measured and calm. James felt the aura give a little and he looked up at the crimson orbs of the monster before him. He didn't even have the strength to spit on him. The Dark Lord's hand wandered up to his hood and exposed his face for the first time to James.

James recoiled in fear. Dark magic was supposed to corrupt you and make you disfigured yet this…being before him was beautiful.

As if this dark angel heard James' thoughts he explained, "You're wondering why I'm so perfect looking."

James could only stare as a smirk crossed the flawless face.

"I was disfigured at one point from Dark magic but when you have submersed yourself so deep into corruption, it seems as if your body starts healing itself and making you stronger, faster, and irresistible."

James didn't know how to respond as the evil thing before him explained himself and then continued with, "I was most impressed by your golem. I did not expect it from a man of your caliber. I truly thought it beyond you but you proved me wrong. So with that final compliment I bid you ado. Farewell, James Potter…"

James closed his eyes as he accepted his fate, he would be watching over Lily and Harry from above. That sounded perfect in his opinion.

Voldemort extended his palm towards James and said, "Nasmoth Grogal."

From the Dark Lord's hand erupted a bolt of black energy that pulsed with swollen veins of crimson energy. It impacted James in the center of his back and it turned him into ash instantly as the light seemed to fade and the house shook violently. Voldemort clucked his tongue mockingly at James' ashes and scattered the ashes with a wave of his hands.

He pulled up his hood again as he ascended the stairs. Lily and young Harrison were still there. Voldemort was a little confused why the foolish woman didn't flee but pushed it to the back of his mind. There were more important things to worry about.

_With Lily_

After she had rushed out of the den, Lily had gone to the nursery. She knew that it did not matter if she fled. He would find her and Harry. There was only one way to end this…for time, at least.

She opened up Harry's room and made her way over to the crib. She picked him up gingerly and placed him on the floor while uttering, "Felhur." The distant sound of whales invaded the room. It would be…unfortunate…if Harry woke up during the carving of the runes.

She steeled herself as she intoned, "Screea Rasia." Wind whirled around her hand as the air came to live in the room. She focused the wind into a cutting edge and put her hand on his forehead, as if to check his temperature, and continued by running her hand across his head like she was petting his hair. Said hair started falling from his head in clumps.

The left side of Harry's head was bald and had a few small cuts from the spell. Lily remedied this with a whispered, "Felnor." The small cuts hissed and closed before her eyes leaving perfectly smooth skin and another round of whale calls.

Lily nodded her head in approval; time to start. She uttered, "Naeshary." The nursery walls shifted as the crib seemed to warp as a bronze fountain pen came into existence in Lily's hand. It looked much like the one the Headmaster used to carve the Fidelius.

Lily inspected it for flaws quickly before continuing, "Raima Rumoth." Wind picked up in the room again as the floor shook and the pen glowed ominously. It calmed after a moment as Lily prepared herself for what she was about to do.

She took the pen and carved a circle in the area above Harry's left temple. The smell of burning flesh invaded Lily's senses as she cried for her baby; he was totally unaware of what was happening.

In the circle she carved a four sided diamond and then moved the pen to the center of Harry's forehead. She carved a circle half the size of the first; it was about the same size as one of his eyes. In it she carved a simplistic lightning bolt and moved to the next point. She steadied herself and pulled Harry's right eyelid taunt. She took a deep breath and carved a circle the same size of the second onto the lid. She continued by carving an upside down flame in the circle.

She took a shaky breath, she could only hope his eye could be healed because while the eyelid may have given some protection, there was no way the carver didn't cut into the eye. She shook her head, no time to dwell on that. She moved the pen to the next point; above and behind Harry's left ear. The third was the same size as the last two and in it she carved a flame symbol. Lily then went about connecting the circles. She connected the first circle to the second, the second to the third, and then the first to the fourth. She did not draw a large circle that encompassed all the other circles like she would normally. This was supposed to be a one time ward that would hopefully work.

She healed the rune sequence so it showed no physical signs and then soaked her magic into the runes. She observed her handy work. The runes were still present even though the actual carving had been healed and they glowed white. The second, first, and fourth circles made a straight line from Harry's right to his left. The third circle, the one on his eye, was to the right and below the second circled, connected by a diagonal line that cut through his right eyebrow.

Lily poured all her magic into the rune sequence until she was totally spent. Her aura was covered by the duel that James and the Dark Lord were having. With the last of her strength Lily activated the rune, "Reflect," the first circle burned red, "with righteous judgment," the second circle followed. "Powered by the sacrifice," the third circle, "And activated in the presence of malice."

The entire sequence was glowing crimson as Lily placed her hand upon the lightning bolt, "Activate."

It shone blue for a moment before dimming and disappearing entirely.

Lily breathed hard as she used her magic to will Harry's hair to grow back; it wouldn't do for the Dark Lord to be suspicious. She whispered, "Felhi," and Harry woke to the sound of whales.

He was confused and disoriented as his mother picked herself up and then him and placed him in his crib. She then faced his door, like she was waiting for something. Harry was confused, why wasn't she saying anything to him? Why wasn't she looking at him? Where was his father? Why did she look so scared? She couldn't be scared. His mother wasn't afraid of anything…or so he thought.

_Outside the Room_

The Dark Lord took his time outside the door. He was curious what the woman had cooked up for him. Would she attack him? Had she set a rune trap? Or was it something he hadn't thought of?

He looked at the wooden sign on the door, decorated with quidditch equipment and proclaiming it to be Harry's room. He snorted and decided he had given the woman enough time to prepare.

He opened the door with a thought and walked through. There she stood, glaring at him defiantly. He smirked, how he loved breaking the ones with some steel. Especially, his eyes wondering over her delicious curves as he licked his lips, the beautiful women.

He stepped forward and commanded, "Out of my way, girl. I'm here to kill the child."

She shook her head and widened her stance. Voldemort sighed in a dramatic fashion and said in a mocking voice, "We'll just have to do it the hard way. **Rugrovil!**"

From arced fingers came continuous crimson bolts of energy. They honed in on Lily as she opened her mouth in a silent scream and the house shook. The Dark Lord smirked in satisfaction; the word of torture was truly powerful. He raised his hand slightly and slowly Lily rose off the ground, still in a silent scream, as the shaking of the house intensified.

On a whim, Voldemort ended the curse and watched as the woman fell to the ground and the house stopped moving. He made his way towards the crib in which a young boy looked at his mother with tears. The prophecy was rubbish.

But then…this unassuming child lifted his eyes off his mother and onto him. His eyes were like twin pools of emerald fire, making him feel…vulnerable.

Voldemort shook his head and crushed this feeling; he would destroy this child!

He raised his hand to deliver the killing blow…but then he felt something grab his robes. He looked down and saw the woman glaring at him and she hissed out, "**I'll destroy you before you lay one finger on my child…**"

The Dark Lord sneered and kicked her off him and proclaimed, "You are nothing, you insolent whelp! Die! **Nasmoth Grogal!**"

Once again, a bolt of black energy with swollen crimson veins shot from his palm as the light dimmed and house shook. It impacted Lily and turned her to ash as she smirked defiantly at him. Voldemort spat in her ashes; the word of death was a mercy she didn't deserve.

He turned his eyes back onto the child and saw him looking around with tears streaming down his face, screaming for his mother, asking where she was. Foolish boy…

The Dark Lord raised his hand once again and intoned, "**Nasmoth Grogal!**"

Another bolt of evil energy parted from his finger tips and honed in on the young boy. The Dark Lord Voldemort smirked as he watched his prophesized enemy's death. A split second before the bolt hit Harry, said person screamed in pain as his right eye shined silver. A simplistic lightning bolt appeared on his forehead and glowed silver as well as something above his left temple shone white.

The spell was reflected and raced back towards the Dark Lord at blinding speeds and pierced his chest. As his body turned to ash, the man previously known as Tom Riddle could only wonder where he had gone wrong. He felt as if he had split his soul again…but he had not gone through the ritual, so how could this be? Only time would tell as he was propelled from the building as something lesser than even the meanest ghost.

Harry cried as his head pulsed with pain and his eye felt like it had been punctured with a thousand needles. He somehow still managed to pull himself up using the bars of his crib. He looked around and wished he had stayed down.

Hovering above him was an evil dark fog that seemed to be analyzing him and then it raced towards him. He felt his right eye start burning again and his head started throbbing but saw through the tears that the darkness was being held back by something.

It was relentless however as it thrashed against its restraints and then Harry heard a sickening crack. It was the kind of crack you hear when fine china breaks and whatever held the dark fog back failed. It rushed forward once more and caressed the dimming lightning symbol on his forehead. It seemed unaffected as Harry swiped his small fists at it and tried to hide underneath his blankets.

He cried out in terror, "**Help!**"

The lightning bolt that had all but disappeared shone silver once more and repelled the fog which was screaming from the pain this strange light caused. It gave one last cry before dissipating and Harry passed out.

On Harry's forehead was a bloody lightning bolt that looked like it had been carved into his skin. It stopped bleeding quickly and steamed for a moment before leaving only a silvery scar. He would only vaguely remember this night as the years passed.

The stars outside shined with sorrow as they looked down on the destroyed town of Godric's Hollow. The town was burning, frozen, and being corrupted. If that was not enough, fate had laid its heavy hand on the Potter child after leaving him all alone in the world. What a tragedy this was…

_9:56-November 7, 1981-Headmaster's Suite, Olcadan Mage Academy_

_How was I supposed to know they would treat him like that? Lily and James said he wasn't supposed to go to them at all, but on the other hand, I was able to create powerful wards based on blood to protect him. What is a mortal man to do? _These thoughts came from one Albus Dumbledore as he sat behind his expansive desk in the Olcadan Mage Academy's Headmaster Suite. He sighed again as he looked around at his silver instruments whirling, cranking, and issuing smoke of different colors. He got up slowly and walked over to one in particular that was issuing blue smoke with little puffs of black issuing from it as well. He scowled at it. The blue smoke meant unhappiness and the black smoke meant pain; physical and/or emotional.

This instrument was connected to one Harry Potter through a complex rune sequence that Dumbledore created himself. He sighed once again and walked over to his large window that looked out over the grounds. He could see first year Magical Beings with a variety of year groups present being taught about fairy creatures by Professor Kettleburn and his assistant Rubeus Hagrid.

Hagrid had been charged with murder many years ago after Tom Riddle 'caught' him raising Slytherin's monster. Or at least that was what Riddle claimed. Hagrid stayed in Azkaban for an entire year as Albus struggled to find evidence. It came in the form of the young victim's corpse. The body had traces of parsel magic, only usable by snakes and Slytherin's line, concentrated in her eyes. This was the usual signs of a basilisk, not an acromantula. So, Albus called in some favors and got another trial for Hagrid.

He was a changed man after going through Azkaban. Shadow magic was dangerous and dementors were creatures of the shadows. They were demons that were left over from the days of old. There are few spells that could combat them and Hagrid, along with every other prisoner, had his magic sealed with runes.

So when Hagrid walked in looking like a skeleton, Dumbledore shuddered. Even he would not be in better shape after a year in Azkaban. So after many hours, a truth potion, and different presentations of evidence to the judges, the verdict was that Hagrid, while he did raise a dangerous creature, was innocent of murder and that the murderer and his pet, which was now believed to be a basilisk, was still roaming free.

Dumbledore shook himself of these memories and tried to focus on the present. He moved his gaze from the Magical Beings class to the Forbidden Forest. He could see a group of thestrals flying low over the forest canopy, invisible to all but those who have seen death. Dumbledore turned back to his contraptions as he thought about his next plan of attack.

He knew now that it would be unacceptable to keep young Harrison with his spiteful relatives. The question is: where would he go? There were many magical families that would gladly take The-Boy-Who-Lived but Dumbledore did not want that for Harrison. As a young child he would be susceptible to manipulation. It was quite possible that his guardians would either mold his views to further their own agenda or weigh him down with praise and gifts, bloating the young boy's ego.

No, it was better not to just put him up for adoption. Ha, with the current Minister it's more likely that the highest bidder would receive custody instead of the best suited to take care of a child… Sigh, if only Sirius hadn't betrayed them and killed Peter. It was very clever of him to make it seem like Remus was the possible traitor. How many years had he been setting this up? How long had he been fooling his friends and allies? Sirius was lucky he was behind bars or this Headmaster would have made him-

_BRIIIINNNNNGGGG!_

Albus looked over to a small bell ringing its heart out on his desk. He quieted it with a wave of his hands and looked out the window. How the time flies… It was time for him to head over to various cities and make sure the last of the corruption was gone.

Another thing on his plate: corruption. It was one of Tom's favorite tools. He would make his way into an unsuspecting mundane town or city and corrupt a small spot in an alley or some other out of the way place.

The corruption would spread and corrupt mundanes and animals who wandered where they weren't suppose to. These Corrupted would spread the corruption and before long, the entire population would be corrupted.

It was possible to reverse the corruption of people and animals but if they died before they could be cured…well, not even Albus Dumbledore could bring back the dead. Corrupted land, on the other hand, was a whole other kettle of fish. If it became too corrupted, it would start to spawn corrupted black plant life from the black ice. After the plant life, it would start to create living corruption, black puddles of moving corruption that were very aggressive.

At that point, the corruption accelerated to dangerous levels and it no longer about curing. At that point, it was time to think about the bigger picture and start destroying the corruption. Entire cities had been warded and destroyed because the corruption had taken too deep of a root. Sigh…those moments when he had to decide between saving and preventing were never easy. Save these people and risk greater corruption or destroy them and prevent total corruption?

It was never easy… He had only made the choice to save once and that was enough for him. The corruption had started spawning creatures made from the corruption that were faster than a unicorn, stronger than a werewolf, more aggressive than a dragon, and deadlier than a vampire. These creatures had come into existence in a small town on the coast Ireland because when asked what they should do, Dumbledore said to take one more day to cleanse the town. That one day proved to be just what the corruption needed because soon it overwhelmed the aurors.

He could remember as the aurors pulled out of the town and begged him to cleanse the town but…he had been curious. They would be destroying the town and the Corrupted within so what would it hurt to see what type of creatures these beasts would be?

That proved to be a very dangerous risk. It took Dumbledore five days to cleanse the area of all corruption which led to the total destruction of the town. He was bed ridden for a week after. It would have gone quicker with aurors but they couldn't resist the corruption like Dumbledore so they were stuck outside the town maintaining the wards.

Dumbledore shook his head as he made his way out of his office, down the revolving staircase, and out into the corridors of Olcadan Mage Academy. It was a passing period and the halls were crowded with children and teenagers of various ages in either gold, blue, grey, or red robes. He smiled down at his young charges; some were intimidated, some smiled back, some were unsure how to act, and others sneered; mainly those in the red robes. Nonetheless, Albus Dumbledore responded positively to all.

He drifted through the hallways, weaving through the students, and to the Entrance Hall. The student numbers were thinning as they made their way either to class, their dorms, the library, or their favorite spot for relaxation. By the time he had reached the large wooden doors at the end of the Entrance Hall, most students had disappeared.

Albus pushed open the massive door with but a thought and lengthened his stride towards the school gates. It took almost ten minutes to reach them but they were not wasted in the least, as far as the Headmaster was concerned.

He let out a sigh of appreciation as he gazed upon the dark green fields and sparkling waters that made up the grounds of Olcadan. The field were firm yet soft, many students had slept away an afternoon stretched out on the fields at one time or another. The Black Lake was a dark green that would be disturbed by the occasional stir of the giant squid or a mermaid. Mermen didn't like going to the surface but the mermaids made a habit of lounging on the shores watching the young men from a distance but diving back in before they could come near. Albus cast his eyes beyond the grounds, to the dark trees of the Forbidden Forest and the snow capped mountains. They looked even better when winter truly set in.

No matter how many times he looked upon these grounds, he would never get tired of the beauty. Dumbledore turned his attention upon the approaching gates. He waved his hand at them, lowering the wards and undoing the various locking mechanisms and spells. They creaked open as he stepped through and shut behind him with a clang.

Albus set off for his first destination in mind, a small fishing town on the coast of Wales. He whispered, "Screera," and felt a pair of wings made of wind envelope him and spirit him away from his beloved school.

There was a little turbulence when he passed through a storm but most wouldn't have noticed. Shifting was nearly instantaneous after all. He let the brine of the ocean fill his nose and looked towards the dark waters crashing against the shore. He turned his attention to the small town in the distance. _Time to get to work._

_18:21-November 7, 1981-Town Square, Godric's Hollow_

The Headmaster sighed; this was the last town on his list and then he could return to Olcadan. The other towns weren't bad and only one needed his direct intervention. Let's hope it was the same for Godric's Hollow.

An auror in uniform, a blue trench coat, white dress shirt, blue tie, blue slacks, and black boots, approached him and greeted, "Good evening, Headmaster. How was everything today?"

Albus answered wearily, "Fine, fine… All the towns were fairly clean and only one needed my intervention."

The auror responded, "That's good. I'm afraid we need your help for a certain Corrupted."

Albus quirked an eyebrow, "Oh?"

The auror cleared his throat, "Yes, it's being very…difficult. It's not staying still long enough for us to cleanse it and it's spreading corruption everywhere it goes so…"

Dumbledore nodded, "Yes, I'll track it and cleanse it for you. Just work on cleaning up the rest of this town."

The auror gave a thankful grin, "Thanks, Professor!"

"It's no trouble, my boy."

The auror walked off as Dumbledore sensed out the position of the Corrupted… There; it was in the northern part of town. Dumbledore nodded absentmindedly and walked towards his prey.

_An Hour Later_

The Headmaster was getting frustrated with this Corrupted. It just kept running. It didn't even bother to fight. He looked down at another pool of corruption left behind by it and he muttered, "Feltuli."

From his hand burst a stream of solid looking white light. It struck the corruption and before long the black liquid had evaporated. Dumbledore shook his head; this was becoming very tiresome.

It would be another five minutes before he cornered it in a house, a very familiar house. Dumbledore stood outside of Potter cottage and watched as the Corrupted jumped into the collapsed entrance hall and took off into the house. What a bother…

Albus soldiered on and walked through the broken room and around the rumble that had once been a golem of some sorts. He walked forward into the dark with the word of light on his tongue. It was there in the den.

The Corrupted was thrashing about and having something of a seizure. It would die soon if he didn't act. Dumbledore thrust out his palm and murmured, "Feltuli," once again as the beam of light slammed into the Corrupted.

The Corrupted was pinned to the floor by the light and it slowly shrank in size. A few minutes later, all that was left was a little girl. She looked about seven and had long black hair and pale skin. Signs of corruption. Once you were corrupted, your natural colors never came back. Even if you had platinum blonde hair and dark brown skin, you would turn pale and gain black hair. That's just how it was.

Sighed as he flicked his hand and raised the little girl with magic, unfortunately, her dirtied white dress caught on something. Dumbledore moved forward to correct this and realized what had caught her dress. A corner of carpet…

Albus removed the offending piece of material from the dress and floated the girl to the single couch had not been overturned. He gave a sad smile… If Tulip were here she would have scolded him for placing the girl on the couch when she was so dirty. Tulip was a broken soul now… She was so distraught when she had returned from visiting her friends later that Halloween night.

She came to the Headmaster immediately and he told her what happened. She broke down and begged him to let her go to Harry. He denied her but offered her work at Olcadan. She accepted with empty eyes. She turned in on herself even more when she heard about Sirius three days ago. Poor Tulip…

Dumbledore cleared his thoughts as he moved the carpet square to the side and stared down at Fidelius sequence. He bent down and brushed a finger against it. If he were anymore lost in thought he wouldn't have noticed it.

When he had last touched the sequence, it was filled with his magic and a bit of Sirius' magic. The sequence was broken but he could feel echoes of the magic once held in the runes. It echoed of a large amount of his magic, a good amount of Lily's, and a small bit of Peter's. He brushed his finger against the border of the circle that held the Secret Keeper's blood. It was Peter's magic within it.

Dumbledore brought his hand to his mouth slowly in horror. Sirius Black didn't betray the Potters and Peter Pettigrew was not only the Secret Keeper but possibly the traitor within the Order. The Headmaster took a deep breath and knew what he had to do. He first called in an auror to take samples of the echoes and the little amount of blood and also take care of the girl.

The second thing he did was appeal for another trial for Sirius in light of new evidence. The good will that seemed to have infected the Magical World after the disappearance of Tom also appeared to have reached the courts because they granted his request and scheduled it for the November fifteenth.

That gave Albus enough time to call one last meeting for the Order of the Phoenix before disbanding it. When he briefed the Order on his knowledge of the current situation, many couldn't believe it. Remus took it the hardest.

For the most part, everyone believed the Headmaster and they felt sorry for the man that had, in anger, avenged his best friends.

_11:07-November 15, 1981-Courtroom 7, Ministry of Magic_

On the fifteenth of November, a subdued Sirius Black entered a high security court room. He was escorted in by one auror and one dementor. He was dressed in a grey jumpsuit, black cloth shoes, and a black collar around his neck.

He looked up at the Wizengamot perched up on the stadium-like seating, separated from them by three inches of rune strengthened glass. He looked at the elevated platform where a man he didn't recognize sat. It was where the Chief Warlock was supposed to reside… So where was Dumbledore?

His grey-purple eyes scanned the Wizengamot from underneath his lank tangled hair. There he was, among the Wizengamot as Lord Dumbledore. Speaking of nobility… His eyes swept up to the Black Family seat.

There was good old mum… She glared down at him with icy blue eyes set deep into a face with equally deep wrinkles. Sirius couldn't help but smirk back at her; even after being in Azkaban for about two weeks, he still looked better than her.

He snickered a bit as he sat down in a wooden chair that was bolted to floor and his arms were strapped to aforementioned chair by a pair of enchanted chains.

"What's so funny, Black?"

Sirius looked up and saw there seated in middle one of the three chairs directly below the platform for the Chief Warlock was the current Minister of Magic, Millicent Bagnold. She was a professional woman who carried herself with confidence. She usually wore the traditional black robes of the Minster's office. The robes served to make her pale skin seem even lighter and her brown hair and black eyes seem darker. She could be fairly intimidating…

Sirius answered with his trademark cheeky grin, "Well," drawing out the word, "I couldn't help but notice that even after being surrounded by these damn dementors for two weeks, I still look better than me dear old mum!"

He finished with a toothy grin; the Minister was not impressed.

"It's not wise to insult those who have the power to send you back to Azkaban, Death Eater!"

This heated retort came from the man to the left of the Minister; he was seated in the right chair of the three below the Chief Warlock platform. He was a solid man with pale skin and straight black hair. He wore an auror uniform decorated with ribbons and medals. His brown eyes glared down at Sirius as his tooth brush mustache twitched dangerously. This angry individual was the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement and former Head Auror, Bartemius Crouch Sr.

Sirius smiled at Crouch and responded, "She would send me back even if there was absolutely, positively, no possible way I was guilty."

Crouch just continued glaring so Sirius decided to lean back and enjoy the show.

Sirius entertained himself by checking out and winking at the Senior Undersecretary to the Minister, a younger woman with hazel eyes and a figure to die for, while waiting for the Chief Warlock to call the room to order. Sirius had gotten her quite flustered by the time, "Order, order. I now call this court into session!" rang throughout the room.

Sirius elevated his eyes from the curves of the Undersecretary to the man acting as Chief Warlock as everyone took their seats and quieted down. He was a tall man with a dangerously skinny waist. His pasty white skin made him look sickly as he stared down at Sirius with lidded eyes past a beak-like nose.

He looked like he was bored out his mind.

"We are here today to give one Sirius Black another trial due to new evidence. So as to refresh everybody's memory, we shall view the last trial with a memory globe." He motioned his hand.

An auror stepped forward with a small pedestal and a glass orb. He set up the pedestal a few feet in front of Sirius and placed the glass orb in the center of it. The auror placed his hand on the orb and then it filled with light. The auror stepped back as the room went dark.

From the orb came a wide beam of silvery light that filled the center of the room. It started playing images. There in the light was the exact same room they were in right now with all the same people except Dumbledore was the acting Chief Warlock in the light.

The memory then played through. It went through the entire trial prior to the current one for about an hour before the light was pulled back into the glass orb. The lights in the room came back on.

Sirius shifted a bit to wake up his numb posterior and mulled over the memory that was just shone. Really, he felt like smacking himself. In the memory, he was completely off his rocker. Ranting and raving; he might as well as had been foaming at the mouth.

It reiterated all the old evidence, speculation, and agreed upon motives. He was the Potter's Secret Keeper, he was an unmarked Death Eater for espionage purposes, he betrayed them to Voldemort, he murdered Peter Pettigrew to cover up his tracks and killed thirteen mundanes in the process, and he set up a werewolf to take the fall.

What the hell were these people smoking? He wouldn't mind getting some if they gave hallucinations that intense!

He looked back up at the blabbering Chief Warlock. He was explaining something to the Wizengamot about some nonsense. Dusty old fart, get on with it.

As if he was picking up on Sirius' telepathic waves, the old man stopped talking and called out, "Lord Dumbledore."

Sirius looked back at Dumbledore as he rose from his seat. He was dressed in a plain indigo robe along with his signature half moon glasses and ringed fingers. The twinkle that was usually present in his blue eyes had been replaced with a harsh gleam.

Sirius unconsciously moved back in his seat; you didn't mess with Dumbledore when he looked like that. Insane, Sirius was, but not stupid and you had to be damn near brain dead to screw with Dumbledore at this moment in time.

The acting Chief Warlock continued, "Lord Dumbledore, it was you who requested a second trial for Sirius Black, correct?"

Dumbledore responded in a clear strong voice that seemed to fill all corners of the room, "Yes."

"You have stated that new evidence has been recently found, is that right?"

"Yes."

"Mmmm…" The Chief Warlock rubbed his chin while looking down at a stack of papers in his hands. Lowered them and then directed his gaze at Dumbledore, "I'm going to be blunt, Lord Dumbledore. What is it that you believe happened regarding Sirius Black?"

Dumbledore returned the Chief Warlock's stare with his own and replied, "I believe that Sirius, in fact, did kill Peter Pettigrew and accidently killed the mundanes in his rage-…"

Cries of protest rang throughout the courtroom. They all relayed one question: Then why the hell are we here?

"Order! Order! I call this courtroom to **order!**"

The room finally quieted down after the Chief Warlock's cries of order. Said person turned his attention back to Dumbledore, "If you would, please elaborate why we are giving another trial to Sirius Black at your behest when you believe he committed the acts he was convicted of in the first place?"

Dumbledore responded, "I was about to tell you before I was so rudely interrupted." The Headmaster's eyes swept the room with a commanding gaze. He cleared his throat before continuing, "I believe Sirius Black committed these acts in rage after learning of the deaths of James and Lily Potter."

The Chief Warlock quirked an eyebrow, "Oh? But you performed the Fidelius yourself and confirmed that Sirius Black was the Secret Keeper and was the only one who could have betrayed the Potter's location to the Dark Lord."

Dumbledore replied with a grimace, "It always amazes me that so many people do not recognize me for what I truly am… I am a powerful mage who performed spectacular feats in my younger days and killed the Dark Lord Grindelwald. I am a knowledgeable soul who enjoys teaching and became Headmaster of Olcadan because of it. However, above all this, I am a mortal man who has many responsibilities and when I make mistakes they tend to monumental in comparison with the mistakes of others.

In the case of Sirius Black, I made the mistake of not double checking all my facts." He finished with a weary voice that gave off a feeling of frailty.

There was silence in the room until Crouch stood up and asked in an impatient tone, "What was this mistake, Dumbledore?"

The Headmaster looked down at Crouch with a diamond hard stare. Crouch fidgeted under his gaze and resumed his seat. Dumbledore cleared his throat and said, "I did not go back to the scene of the betrayal; that is, the Potters' safe house. The safe house was where the Fidelius sequence that I created was located. I only came across by accident while pursuing a very skittish Corrupt…"

Many in the room shuddered; the Corrupted were feared above all except Voldemort himself.

The Headmaster continued, "I finally cornered and then cleansed the Corrupted in the Potter's safe house; the den more precisely, which is where the Fidelius sequence was located. Out of curiosity, I examined it and I found that instead of traces of my magic and Sirius' magic, it had traces of Lily's magic, Peter's magic, and my magic. From this I concluded that Lily had altered the sequence and switched the Secret Keepers…"

Silence filled the hall and slowly, the Chief Warlock looked over to Sirius and asked, "Did you know about this?"

Sirius scowled, "Yes, I was the one who suggested it…"

Shouting and yelling broke out as many screamed their outrage and disbelief. The Chief Warlock struggled to regain order. Suddenly the entire room started shaking and mage lights started dying. A deep and sinister voiced echoed through the room and despair sunk into every crevice.

"**Nasgul. Rumoth. Nasgul. Rumoth. Nasgul. Rumoth."**

Everyone fell into their seats and turned as one toward Dumbledore. He stood there, chanting the dark language as he seemed to grow in size as his shadow thrashed wildly in the darkness.

Finally, the Headmaster stopped. The mage lights slowly came back to life as the room stilled once more. Dumbledore asked, "If you could be so kind, would you explain what you meant, Mr. Black?"

Sirius breathed deeply as he swallowed, "O-of course."

The Headmaster took his seat and leaned forward to hear what Sirius was about to say as if there had never been an interruption. Sirius cleared his throat and looked up warily at Dumbledore one last time before continuing, "I suggested that I switch with Peter Pettigrew to the James and Lily because when I thought about it, I was such an obvious choice. It was almost stupid to pick me when I think about it…however, Peter…Peter was a timid man who most thought would spill his guts as soon as they started using the word of torture…"

Many in the Wizengamot shifted uncomfortably at the mention of the word; some even flinched.

"Because of people's perception of him, he was a perfect replacement. No one in their wildest dreams would have imagined we would trust the secret to him! …However, we did not look closely enough. We knew there was a spy in among us and we suspected our friend Remus Lupin. We did not think it could ever be Peter."

Crouch jumped up and roared, "**That still does not justify you killing thirteen mundanes!**"

The Chief Warlock slammed his gavel; the sound of stone slamming into stone echoed throughout the room. The old man turned his gaze onto Crouch and said, "Do not speak out of turn again Mr. Crouch or I will have you removed from this court."

Crouch resumed his seat as a marvelous shade of purple with a vein twitching dangerously so near his temple. The Chief Warlock looked back at Sirius, "As Mr. Crouch said, that explanation, while clearing you of betrayal of your friends and _possibly_ the death of Peter Pettigrew, it does not clear you of the deaths of all those innocent mundanes."

Sirius chuckled a bit in a malicious way and asked, "Who ever said Pettigrew was dead?"

The Chief Warlock raised an eyebrow, "Are you trying to imply he is alive?"

Sirius spat, "**Oh, he's alive alright!** After staging that little charade he used the fire blast chant and blew up the street behind him! Then the little coward cut off his **finger** in the resulting smoke and then used the word of transformation to change into a **rat**!"

Buzzing filled the massive room as the various lords and ladies discussed what they had just been told. The Chief Warlock smacked his gavel once and the room went silent once more.

The Chief Warlock then started rummaging around for something before he issued a quiet, "Here it is," and pulled in front of him a small folder. He flipped through the folder for a moment or two before he looked up at Sirius and said, "This is Mr. Pettigrew's public record. It shows me everything I need to know about him from a professional stand point. This includes his school records. It doesn't say anywhere in his school records or any other document here that he ever learned anything beyond the basics of the Horse Lord Language. With just the basics, there in no way he could have learned to use the word of transformation."

Sirius shook his head with a smirk, "But you forget who he was always around. He hung out with Remus Lupin, one of the brightest mages of our generation, me, someone with a partial affinity for the Horse Lord Language, and finally, James, a genius who used the Horse Lord Language as if it was his play thing... You don't think between the three of us, we could teach him to use the word sufficiently to turn into a small animal? It's how we got around Hogwarts so easily and gave us our ability to do all we did as the Marauders!"

The Chief Warlock looked at him curiously, "What is this Marauders you speak of?"

Dumbledore stood up, "If I may, the Marauders were a group of mischief makers that was the source of many laughs at Hogwarts. It was composed of James Potter, Remus Lupin, Sirius Black, and Peter Pettigrew."

The Chief Warlock nodded his head and turned back to Sirius, "So, you used to the word of transformation to get around a thousand year old institute of learning to play _pranks_?"

Sirius colored a bit and muttered, "Well, when you say it like that…"

The Chief Warlock shook his head and sighed, "So, what you're saying is that you, meaning James Potter, Remus Lupin, and yourself, tutored Peter Pettigrew to use the word of transformation?"

Sirius nodded his head, "Yes, however, he was only ever to turn into a rat whereas James and I were able to change between a number of forms, James having the most numerous…"

The Chief Warlock sighed and stated, "Even with all you have said, it is difficult to believe that you switched as a Secret Keeper with Peter Pettigrew **and** he betrayed the Potters to…ahem…the Dark Lord **and** he set you up **and** he killed all of the mundanes **and** he cut off his finger **and** he turned into a rat **and** he got away."

Sirius sunk into his chair further and further before the Chief Warlock leaned forward in his chair, "As you can tell, that's a lot of ands from a very unlikely person."

Sirius glared down at his lap in silence as Crouch got up from his chair with an evil grin, "If that's all, then I shall call the dementors. I'm sure they're dying to have hi-…"

Sirius called out, "I'll take every truth potion you want, I'll let you go through my mind however many times you need! **But you have to believe me!**"

Stillness filled the room as the seconds whittled away…

The Chief Warlock had his lips pursed in thought as his eyebrows batted to and fro. Finally…, "Very well…"

Raised voices echoed about as various lords and ladies stood up and exclaimed their disapproval. The Chief Warlock used his gavel for a moment to no effect before his visage of boredom twisted into anger. He stood up and intoned, "**Screeri**!"

Gale force winds whipped through the court grabbing papers and throwing them into the air like falling leaves in autumn. Lightning danced on the Chief Warlock's finger tips and came off in terrifying bolts as he thrust his hand skyward; a colossal trumpet of thunder fill the room along with the sound of the terrifying crack that raced across the ceiling as a result of the lightning bolt striking the roof.

Small pieces of rock fell from the crack but the ceiling held. Not a soul in the room dared to move or speak for fear of causing the room to collapse. The Chief Warlock snorted and intoned, "Rai," as he pointed his hand towards the ceiling. The wind picked up once more but it was very gentle. The small rocks that had broken off ascended back from their source as the crack melded together once more.

While the Chief Warlock fixed his most obvious result from his display of anger, Dumbledore motioned to the various stacks of papers and watched as they reassembled themselves. After a moment, the room was back in order.

The Chief Warlock resumed his seat once more and ordered, "Bring out a vial of Veritaserum and also a mind mage."

One of the aids in the room ran out to fulfill his orders. A few minutes later, a man walked in the room. He was simple looking, brown hair and brown eyes, an average face. He wore a long black trench coat with a white dress shirt and black tie; a relief from the stiff and formal robes of the Wizengamot.

He walked to a spot in front of the Chief Warlock and said, "My name is Kendal Grey and I was told you need a mind mage and a vial of Veritaserum."

The Chief Warlock nodded and answered, "Yes, I need you to verify Sirius Black's sanity first and foremost and then we'll take it from there."

Mr. Grey nodded and walked over to Sirius. He looked at Sirius for a moment before putting his hands to Sirius' temples. Sirius felt light headed for a moment before it stopped. Mr. Grey turned back to the Chief Warlock and reported, "He is perfectly sane. I did a thorough scan of his mental structure; no cracks, no bends, or any damage except for a little strain on the emotion receptors but that's normal after being exposed to dementors for an extended period of time and it won't affect an interrogation via Veritaserum."

The Chief Warlock nodded, "Very good. Now, if you'll please demonstrate the authenticity of the Veritaserum."

Mr. Grey nodded and he pulled out a vial from the inside of his trench coat. He uncapped it and tilted it just right so that only a single drop fell into his palm. It was clear and looked just like water. Mr. Grey whispered, "Screeria." A slight wind picked up and the drop froze solid. Mr. Grey held up his palm and showed that the drop had frozen purple even though it had been clear as a liquid. He then whispered, "Rumoth." The floor beneath him shook faintly as his hand glowed red and the purple ice sublimated into a heavy white mist.

The Chief Warlock said, "Since the validity of the Veritaserum has been verified, I now ask you Mr. Grey to administer it to Mr. Black and then monitor his mind for any signs of Occlumency or any attempts to circumvent the Veritaserum."

Mr. Grey stood there for a moment before saying, "I hope you do not think I am speaking out of turn but since this is already highly irregular to be using Veritaserum in a court case, especially one of such importance, should you not at least have him checked for any antidote on his person, such as a capsule in his mouth, or if he has already ingested it ahead of time?"

The Chief Warlock blinked and replied, "An excellent idea! My mind must be slipping more than I thought if I forgot such an elementary thing. One of the aurors, please check him for any antidote that may be on his person, including the mouth."

One of the aurors stationed around the room moved forward reluctantly and stopped short. He and Sirius looked at each other for a moment before Sirius sighed, "Let's get this over with…"

As Sirius was letting an auror inspect his dental hygiene, the Chief Warlock had called for a potions master. The auror had just finished verifying that Sirius did not have any antidotes, or any other potions for that matter, on his person.

The potion master came in with a stuck up nose and stiff upper lip, as if the very presence of the Wizengamot mortally offended him. The acne, poor hygiene, broken glasses, and his relatively young age ruined it however. He strode forward purposely, and before Sirius even realized it, had drawn a knife and whipped it across Sirius' exposed palm. Sirius howled more in surprise then in pain, thankfully, it was a very sharp knife.

The young potions master paid him no attention even as he was cursed by Sirius. Instead all he did was take out a vial of white liquid from his robe and uncap it with his teeth. He carefully put in the blood that was on the blade into the vial, recapped the vial, and then shook it violently, turning the white and red into a very light pink.

As the potions master did this, Sirius had just finished cursing him…now he was, "**A little shit like you will never get laid, forget about children! You'll probably be one of those losers that'll never leave your lab for anything; you'll sleep in a damn cauldron I bet! Your hair will get all greasy and you'll get your rocks off by making others suffer! You motherf-…**"

The auror who had so kindly searched Sirius was now gagging him with a spare handkerchief and was also healing the lunatic's hand. Obscenities could still be heard coming from Sirius, though they were coming at a greatly reduced rate. When he finally calmed down, the auror had finished healing the convict's hand and then removed the handkerchief with a look of disgust.

Sirius commented, "Serves you right, stuffing that crap in my mouth! Next time, try using soap when you wash that thing, I could taste the accumulated taste of sweat and snot from over the years…"

The auror walked away muttering something about where Sirius could stick that soap. Sirius paid him no mind as he turned his attention to the young potions master. Sirius had insulted him the last ten minutes and he hadn't even noticed so Sirius just settled for glaring at him.

The potions master shook the vial one more time before turning to the Chief Warlock and showing him the vial. It had turned clear. The young man announced, "He's clean of any potion or drugs."

He then walked out of the court room as if it stunk like a trash dump.

The Chief Warlock blinked once then twice and cleared his throat. He motioned to Mr. Grey with his hand and encouraged, "If you will."

Mr. Grey nodded and then walked over to Sirius. He uncapped the vial of Veritaserum and instructed, "Open your mouth."

Sirius did so with no hesitation and Mr. Grey then put one of his hands to Sirius' temple. He let his magic sift into Sirius' mind and then he tipped the vial.

_Drip…_

_ Drip…_

_ Drip…_

Three drops landed on Sirius' tongue and he swallowed them easily. A calm fell upon the room and it was shattered with a single command: "State your full name."

Sirius had become very still, his breathing was very slow, and his eyes were half shut. It took him a second to respond, "Sirius Orion Black."

"What day is it?"

"November the fifteenth."

"What have you been accused of?"

"The murder of Peter Pettigrew and thirteen mundanes along with conspiracy to overthrow the government and high treason."

"Have you committed any of these acts of which you have been accused?"

"No."

Once more, silence ruled and no one dared to even cough.

The Chief Warlock asked, "Mr. Grey, has he showed any signs of resisting the Veritaserum?"

Mr. Grey said smoothly, "None at all."

The Chief Warlock then nodded and instructed, "Please administer the antidote."

Mr. Grey complied and soon Sirius was shaking his head like he just came out of a pool. He seemed a bit disoriented and sat there blinking for a minute or two.

The Chief Warlock let his voice carry as he announced, "We seem to have heard all we have gathered to hear. I now shall call the vote. All in favor of declaring Sirius Black guilty even in light of this new evidence and testimony."

Very few raised their hands, among them, however, was Lady Black. Sirius looked at Crouch, who was grudgingly staying his hand, and motioned with his head over to his mother. Crouch slowly looked behind him and saw Lady Black. This seemed to make him even angrier and he simply crossed his arms. He hated when people he didn't like were right, even about stuff that was bad for them.

The Chief Warlock continued, "You may lower your hands. All those in favor of clearing Sirius Black of all charges."

A multitude of hands rose and with a small smile, the Chief Warlock declared, "I now declare, with the approval of the Wizengamot, Sirius Orion Black cleared of all charges. Court adjourned!" He slammed his gavel one last time before gathering his things and leaving.

Many of the Lords and Ladies of the Wizengamot followed his example and proceeded to the exits. Only Dumbledore proceeded down to Sirius. When he stepped up next to Sirius, he noticed that the young man was sobbing. Tears and mucus were running down his face. His eyes and forehead were screwed up in a look of pain, however, he was currently wearing a smile so big it looked like his face was going to split down the middle.

Dumbledore brushed the chains on the chair to the side and laid one of his hands on Sirius' back. He peered down at Sirius past his half-moon spectacles and gave him a warm understanding smile along with an offered hand to help him to his feet.

He encouraged, "Come, Sirius. We have much to do."

Sirius wiped his face and took the hand that Dumbledore held in front of him and pulled himself up, tears still flowing. Dumbledore asked lightheartedly, "What happened, Sirius? I heard you teasing Barty earlier and now you're crying…"

Sirius slobbered out, "I-I'm just s-s-so happy!"

Dumbledore patted him in a comforting way, "There, there…"

Dumbledore guided him as they, Dumbledore really, followed an auror that had motioned to them. More than likely, it was to collect Sirius' belongings. As they walked and Sirius collected himself, the Headmaster directed their conversation to more important matters.

"We have a major dilemma at this moment. Thankfully, you have solved it by being freed from prison!"

Sirius asked curiously, "What's the problem?"

Dumbledore looked towards him and said, "You have a godson in need of a new home."

Sirius looked up in horror, "Harry! How could I have forgotten! What happened to him? Where is he!"

Dumbledore held up one hand for him to calm down, "Calm yourself, Sirius. Harry is currently living with Lily's sister and her family. However, they are mundanes and I believe they do not feel so kindly to magic…"

Sirius started clenching his fists, "If they've hurt him, I swear I'll destroy them!"

The auror that was guiding them through the back halls of the Ministry, away from the crowds, looked back at Sirius nervously. Dumbledore smiled at him when he noticed his look and clarified, "He's speaking figuratively!"

The auror grunted and turned back to face forward.

Dumbledore shook his head and grabbed Sirius by his shoulder, "Choose your words with care, Sirius. Up until a few minutes ago, many thought you were an insane serial killer who worked for Voldemort. Let's not get them too nervous."

Sirius nodded stiffly as he plotted the death of any that hurt his godson. Dumbledore sighed; this was going to be a long day…

_15:29-November 15, 1981-Number 4 Privet Drive, Surrey_

Vernon Dursley was at his wit's end!

One screaming baby was bad enough, but two! It was murder… And one wasn't even _his_… It was his thrice damned nephew and not even by _blood_! On top of that, he had these freaky eyes that seemed to glow. They probably went along well with his freakish nature…

A freak of nature…that's what he was…

A freak.

That's a perfect name for the little demon! Now if only if he could get it to **shut up**!

Looking up from his newspaper, his mustache twitching dangerously, and his face a violent shade of red, Vernon Dursley roared like a rampaging walrus, "**Quiet down, you freak!**"

Silence reigned for a moment.

He heard Petunia slowly resume singing a lullaby to Dudley and all was well.

Then he heard the dreaded scream, "Candy!"

This set off the freak once more and the house was filled with the screaming of babies once more.

And then the doorbell rang…

Vernon Dursley felt like screaming, like punching a wall, like **breaking his foot off in someone's ass**…but he didn't. He got up calmly and walked to the door. He smoothed his hair and straightened his shirt.

He then unlatched the door and threw it open wide while plastering on a friendly grin, "Good afternoon!"

From there, Vernon Dursley was dumbstruck and also very excited. At his door were two _very_ important looking men! One definitely stood out from a crowd, in a good way, and looked very wealthy. He had very regal features and trimmed black hair. He looked as if he had just trimmed his goatee and mustache and brushed his pearly white teeth. His greyish purple eyes were truly marvelous and, miraculously, didn't clash with his red suit and tie and his black dress shirt. Vernon looked down at the man's hands and saw them glittering with rings…and is that a Rolex?

Vernon looked over at the other man and was impressed as well. He had long flowing white hair and a beard to match. He had impossibly blue eyes that looked at Vernon from behind half-moon spectacles. His grey suit, white dress shirt, and blue ascot looked very finely made. Vernon saw his hands were also covered with large rings.

It was all Vernon could do not to bounce in place!

Then it all went to hell in a hand basket…

The older gentleman greeted, "Good afternoon, Mr. Dursley! We're here to pick up, Harry."

Vernon froze like a deer in the headlights.

They, as in the wealthy, finely dressed gentlemen, were with _them_…?

The younger man scowled, "Are you going to get my godson or not?"

Vernon was no gaping like a fish.

_Godson…?_

Apparently, the younger man became impatient and marched right past Vernon. For his part, Vernon was too stunned to do anything.

The older gentleman seemed totally absorbed in his observation of the neighborhood. He scrunched up his face in thought and stroked his beard carefully and asked Vernon, "Is this military housing?"

Vernon didn't have time to answer because he heard a scream and saw his wife rushing towards him holding Dudely. She shouted, "Vernon! Vernon, there's some stranger in the house and…"

Petunia finally noticed the older gentleman. She looked confused for a moment as if she recognized him.

The man smiled at her and said to her, "It's been a while since I last saw you, Mrs. Dursley. I believe our last meeting was at your sister's wedding!"

Petunia then grew very pale and nearly jumped out of her skin as she screamed when the younger man brushed up against her as he walked past her through the front door. In his arms was the fre-…Harry. He was a laughing bundle of joy that was telling his…godfather about his time. From what Vernon could understand Harry didn't have very much fun.

Vernon could only gulp as the man glared at him.

He walked up very close to Vernon and, without a doubt, was invading his personal space. The man spoke, his breath smelled very minty, "_I'm taking Harry with me and hopefully he will never have to see you or your ilk ever again. If I find out that you have touched him in any way that could be interpreted as malicious, I will come back and__** obliterate **__you.__** Is that understood?**_"

Vernon nodded his head very fast and the man smirked before patting him on the cheek, "Well, take care of yourself, doughboy."

With that said, the finely dressed gentlemen along with the beaming little boy, disappeared with a whisper and a gust of wind.

Vernon Dursley never saw the floor rising up to meet him…

**A.N. Well, my main problem with this chapter was the courtroom scene. Every time I had something going, it would hit a dead end. Finally, it just clicked. The end was a little rushed but I can't really say I care all that much…**

**Later,**

**Cerberus**


End file.
